Ko Mātau Tenei - This is Us

Our local curriculum “foster’s students’ dispositions to learn and to contribute as active members of society.”
Rosemary Hipkins – Weaving the coherent curriculum.

Our local curriculum is developed from our vision ‘empowering learners today to create their tomorrow’ and is guided by the unique needs of the emerging adolescent and the connection to our place.

Te Whakapapa o tenei wā provides us with rich opportunities to learn, connecting ākonga to our community, strengthening our relationships, celebrating our places and spaces, and allowing us to make our vision come alive for every learner, every day.

It is underpinned by the principles within Te Mātaiaho, the New Zealand Curriculum, of: holding high expectations for all ākonga, holding a broad view of ākonga success and giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Key Competencies are our capabilities for living and lifelong learning. They provide direction for ākonga to explore and create within our concepts, and guide kaiako in making decision about learning – what are the learners able to do because of their learning.

At Te Kura Takawaenga o Ōtātara Taradale Intermediate, these are explored through the lens of learnership.

At Taradale Intermediate we want all ākonga to:

Be happy and experience a sense of belonging.
Make personal progress enabling them to grow and reach their individual potential.
Be part of enriching and challenging experiences that prepares them for their lives as global citizens, now and in the future.

“Schools that create a culture of learning and growth develop students who not only do well in school but also thrive in the world after school.”
James Anderson

Our school logo depicts the War Memorial Clock which stands at the centre of our Taradale township. The clock tower is symbolic for Taradale Intermediate as we are the centre of learning for Year 7 and 8 ākonga /learners in our area.

The road map in the background, of the Taradale township, symbolises the numerous learning pathways available to ākonga, and the stopping, starting and redirection taken on their learning journeys.

The poutama pattern relates our to school whakataukī.

Our school encourages its ākonga to strive for and attain excellence. In the same way the poutama pattern emphasises, not only, stepping up but stepping out with learning. The more growth and confidence ākonga attain in their learning journey, the more independent and agentic they are in moving onto their next pathway.

Our school has four whanaukura / learning teams. Each team has it’s own identity within our school and work together like a school family.
Our whanaukura are: Tākitimu, Mohaka, Tareha and Kaweka.

RESTORATIVE PRACTICE
This is a relational approach to school life grounded in beliefs about equality, dignity, mana, and the potential of all people.

Restorative Practice focuses on building and maintaining positive, respectful relationships across the school community and offers school staff evidence based, best-practice tools and techniques to restore relationships when things go wrong.

By building and maintaining positive, respectful relationships within a school, adult to adult, adult to learner and learner to learner, challenges are more easily managed and resolved.

Learnership is the overarching term we use that encompasses the three subsets of agency: the environment to act, the will to act, and the power to act. This includes the dispositions and frameworks employed to build learnership and agency in our ākonga. James Anderson defines learner agency as “the degree to which an individual is able to take initiative to meaningfully influence their world, particularly in the face of challenges”.

Learnership provides us with a shared vocabulary and an understanding of the learning relationship between teachers and ākonga. Learnership places responsibility of ākonga growth with them, as learning is not the product of teaching, it’s the product of activity.

Using frameworks such as the Mindset Continuum, the Habits of Mind, the Learning Zones, the Challenge Pit, and the Effective Effort Matrix assist ākonga with developing their learnership and are resources that promote continual growth.

Use the Learner Agency tab on our school website to access further resources and to view video content provided by James Anderson as he partners with us on our Learner Agency journey.

Keep Connected - Mid Year

We keep connected mid-year through a goal setting hui run by ākonga for their whānau, focused on learning.

Whānau Connect - End of Year

Our Whānau Connect evening is held in Term 4 for the whānau of all ākonga enrolled for the following year. This is an important part of the transition process for our whānau/families from other settings. Whānau learn about the TIS way and let us know what they’d like from us as a kura.

Digital information has rapidly overtaken print as the main form of communication. Digital technologies are increasingly evident in our home, work, and social lives. It is essential that digital fluency is fostered within our curriculum and in the pedagogical practices of our school so ākonga can thrive in the digital age.

Digital fluency is understanding how to use digital technologies, deciding when to use specific digital technologies to achieve a desired outcome, and being able to explain why the technologies selected will provide this outcome.

OUR PROGRAMMES PROMOTE:

Digital Capabilities – being digitally adept and innovative; able to confidently choose and use digital tools to learn, create, and share
Digital Principles – demonstrating values when working digitally; being an ethical, respectful, and responsible digital citizen
Digital Literacies – being discerning and critical; able to locate, understand, organise, evaluate, and adapt digital content.

Te Kura Takawaenga o Ōtātara, with guidance from Ngāti Kahungunu (iwi), Ngati Pārau (hapu) and our school community ensures our ākonga leave with an understanding and knowledge of te ao Māori that is grounded within our local places and spaces.

Te Whakapapa o tēnei wā is one of the ways TIS acknowledges all our ākonga, honours the Treaty of Waitangi, and creates ākonga who understand their place in the bicultural nature of Aotearoa.

	EVEN YEAR
CONCEPT	CULTURE/IDENTITY/DIVERSITY
WHAKATAUKĪ	Ko te pae tawhiti, whāia kia tata, ko te pae tata, whakamaua kia tīna.
OUTCOMES	Recite pepeha to an audience. Know the school pepeha and its tikanga. Know their whānaukura pepeha
MANA MODEL	Mana Whānau and Mana Motuhake Tu Meke Tuatara – Malcolm Clarke
CONCEPT	CHANGE/CAUSE/EFFECT
WHAKATAUKĪ	Whatungarongaro te tangata, toitū te whenua.
OUTCOMES	Knows, understands and has retold (in any medium) the story of Ahuriri. (TBC)
MANA MODEL	Mana Tū Mophead – Selina Tusitala Marsh
CONCEPT	PAST/PRESENT/FUTURE
WHAKATAUKĪ	Kaua e mate wheke mate ururoa.
OUTCOMES	Can talk about Taraia, Turauwha, Tareha te Moananui, and Hikawera.
MANA MODEL	Mana Tangatarua Aroha’s Way – Craig Phillips
CONCEPT	RESPONSIBILITY/COMMUNITY/CONNECTION
WHAKATAUKĪ	Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini
OUTCOMES	Incorporate and name some Māori design and visual arts into their learning. Must include: poutama, pātiki and mangōpare,
MANA MODEL	Mana Ūkaipō Poetry Anthology
YEARLY EXPERIENCES	Traditional Māori games Marae experience Perform Tika Tonu with words and actions. Identify some native plants and their medicinal uses

	ODD YEAR
CONCEPT	WHANAUNGATANGA KOTAHITANGA
WHAKATAUKĪ	Ko te pae tawhiti, whāia kia tata, ko te pae tata, whakamaua kia tīna.
OUTCOMES	Recite pepeha to an audience. Know the school pepeha and its tikanga. Know their whānaukura pepeha
MANA MODEL	Mana Whānau and Mana Motuhake In The Beginning – Peter Gossage
CONCEPT	INNOVATION/ENTERPRISE
WHAKATAUKĪ	Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūoho koe me he maunga teitei.
OUTCOMES	Knows, understands, and has retold (in any medium) the story of Pania of the Reef.
MANA MODEL	Mana Ūkaipō Pania of the Reef – Ngāti Pārau
CONCEPT	PERSPECTIVE/COMMUNICATION
WHAKATAUKĪ	Ka pāwai, ka hiki, ki te haere. A blossoming takes place, a journey is set out on.
OUTCOMES
MANA MODEL	Mana Tangatarua Backpack Letters - Mitey
CONCEPT	DISCOVERY/CREATIVITY
WHAKATAUKĪ	Kāore te kumara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka.
OUTCOMES	Knows, understands and has retold (in any medium), the story of how the Tutaekuri river was named.
MANA MODEL	Mana Tū and Mana Motuhake The Legend of Rongokako
YEARLY EXPERIENCES	Hangi Perform Tutira mai ngā iwi with actions

Hero is our Online Portal that allows kaiako, ākonga, and whānau to view and share content anytime, anywhere, on any device. The software is secure, easy to use and brings together all school-related information in one place.

Learning posts combined with curriculum information and goal setting will form an online learning story designed to build year on year so that over time you will have access to written posts, images, video, work samples, and helpful resources all in one place.

We are excited about the features that Hero has to offer whānau.

These include the ability for parents and whānau to:

Read posts relating to your child’s learning
View information on your child’s progress and goals
Connect in real time with your child’s learning goals, progress and achievement

ASSESSEMENT: Our Why

Hero is our Online Portal that allows kaiako, ākonga, and whānau to view and share content anytime, anywhere, on any device. The software is secure, easy to use and brings together all school-related information in one place.