2022

A big welcome back to the new school year from all the team here at Te Puna Aroha. We hope you took the time to relax and enjoy time with your nearest and dearest and that this new year sees you replenished and rested. We welcome several new students to our unit including Jennifer Garton’s younger sister Cindy, Estella Cherrington, Ashleigh Young and Nathan Valle. A big welcome to Zakalia Dudley as well, it is nice to have you back. Te Puna Aroha now has a roll of 22, with a number of students timetabled to attend classes outside our unit.

Tuesday excursions outside the class (EOTC) continue for us this year with a focus on “Our Community”. Our aim is to introduce our young people to a myriad of experiences and opportunities. We are looking for suggestions from them, or you the whānau, of places, people or activities that will broaden our students' knowledge about their community. These might be educational, social, cultural, fun, serious, joyful or jaw dropping. All suggestions will be considered, so drop us a note via your young person or chat to one of our team. Further to this, we would also like to have a small over-night camp whilst the weather allows.

A number of students and staff have talked about two possibilities at this time, and they are as follows: 1. Bus tour up 90 Mile, with a stop to dune surf and morning tea at Ngātaki, onto Cape Reinga and then back to Te Kao for ice-cream and lunch. Check into Ngāpae Holiday Park (Waipapakauri) and off to Lake Ngātu for a paddle and swim. Barbecue dinner at the camping grounds, games and sleep. The next day we would be visiting some of the sights and highlights on the East Coast before returning to school. 2. Go to Kohukohu and catch the ferry to Rawene, travel to Waipoua Forest and visit with Tane Mahuta. Some of the highlights we would like to share with our students include a visit to Manea Theatre Group, and Ngāwhā Springs. We will update you with plans as they become available.

SURF'S UP

On Tuesday 22nd March, the L3PEA class took the students from Te Puna and Blomfield surfing at Ahipara. The 'Surf's Up'-Disabled Surfing programme has been running since 2011 and it is now a well-established event on the school calendar.

The PE class use the event not only to experience how to organise an event, but how to break down the stigma of working with disabled students. The students also use it as part of their own school assessment around Risk Management. The event was a huge success.

Students from Te Puna and Blomfield had a great time surfing, enjoying the BBQ and the certificates that were presented to them from their peers. Students on both sides were involved, trying their best, helping each other out, and smiling. The event could not happen without support from the community.

Thank you to Patau Tepania and Te Kohanga Camp ground, CBEC - Gary McMeekin and Elroy Pure for providing a marquee for the students to change in, Gary Butt - Tokerau Beach Boys for providing the paddleboards, Surf Bro's - Rangi for providing surf instruction, wetsuits and boards, REAP - Selena Bercic, who provided $300 for the BBQ food and drinks for the day, and also to Sue Flanagan for all of her assistance, purchasing the food, driving and cooking the best onions in the Far North!!

FISHING, PUKENUI

Every Tuesday, if the weather permits, we visit our community, as part of our Theme Topic for the year. This Tuesday the sun was shining, the fish were calling, and Pukenui wharf beckoned, so northbound we headed. Zyran McGlashan and Danny Hobbs both hauled in a couple of good sized snapper, and Fabian Hovell landed a beauty Kahawai. What a brilliant day out yet again. As always, we wish you could have been there - but perhaps another day.

Ngā mihi Team of Te Puna Aroha

R TUCKER THOMPSON

Michael Tattley, Alice Insley and Jonathan Helmich-Fraser along with Whaea Denise were invited from Te Puna Aroha, as part of our Special Olympics team, to join the R Tucker Thompson on the FNHL (Fulton Hogan) Leadership Voyage. Departing from Russell Wharf, they were lucky enough to spend the day with the captain and crew and get with a tour of the ship where they learnt about safety procedures. They got to help sail the ship - learning about the helm, hoisting sails, climbing the rigging and navigation. They all then went on shore for a walk and a game and at the end of the day were presented with a certificate to recognize all the activities they did. What an absolutely fantastic experience!!!!

2021

​​​​​​​This year our topic is ocean related.

You’ll see from the photographs that we have visited a few beaches, explored rock pools, noted native flora and fauna that surround the coast, and endeavoured to recognize and name local landmarks.

Amongst other things, we have been swimming, fishing, tried our hand at netting, collected seaweed and seashells, and of course - some kaimoana. We have visited Ahipara Beach, Coopers Beach, Mangōnui (where we also met up with Kirsten-Inga), Rangiputa, Pūwheke, Tokerau Bay (where we did Circability on the beach and lunch with April Atkinson), and our last venture was to Pukenui.

Tuesday 4th we were off to collect some more kaimoana from Kaimaumau, but due to the weather conditions this did not happen, much to the disappointment of out tamariki.

We’ll be at Surf’s Up at Shipwreck Bay soon, supported by students from the seniors Physical Education class. We are so looking forward to that adventure! ​​​​​​​

SURF's UP

The Level 3 Physical Education Academic class organised and ran the recent 'Surfs Up' Disabled Surfing Day held at Shipwreck Bay, involving the students from Te Puna Aroha and Blomfield. The water was a little on the cooler side, but this certainly didn’t stop these guys. We would like to thank to our community sponsors for supporting us: REAP, CBEC, Surfbros, Tokerau Beach Boys and local iwi.

Thanks also to Ms Flanagan and Mr Berghan. The day was a great success and the students had a blast! To conclude the day, well-earned certificates where given out to all students, sponsors and helpers.

Well, we’ve had some tough times this term with Covid lockdown, but at Te Puna we had some zoom sessions and lots of home learning programmes.

NOW! Back to school, and we finally get to visit our classmate, Aaron Morrissey’s grandparents who live at Kaimaumau. It was really worthwhile as we got to ride in their vintage cars; a 1924 Essex, a 1948 Austin and a 1959 Humber. We topped the day off with hamburgers and sausages, and toasted marshmallows. Some of us even went out on a limb and ventured into marshmallow sandwiches?

Our next project is to pretty up our garden area, so we’ve been scrubbing up old crockery and are starting to plan our designs for our mosaics, a great cross curricular project involving mathematics and literacy, history and social science. We’ve planted some more sunflower seeds - so be prepared to see them tower over our garden wall in the next few months.

Keep up with the great work in recycling all your rubbish and food scraps. From Te Puna Aroha, we hope you all have a safe and happy holiday. Look out for each other and be kind .

2019 TE HOUTAEWA CHALLENGE

Our Te Puna Aroha students took part in the Te Houtaewa Annual Challenge on 16th March. Two teams completed 62km ultramarathon, amongst international runners, from the Bluff to Ahipara.

The teams were runnIng in dedication to Te Amohaere Rudolph, as it was the second anniversary of her passing.      Te Amohaere herself took part in this challenge when she was at Oturu Primary School.

At the powhiri, Sam Busby used hte taiaha and Gisborne Ryder the putatara.

Team One won the overall challenge and were presented with the Te Houtaewa korowai.

Kamo High School contacted TPA and requested tips and strategies of how these rangatahi were able to complete, win and exceed previous records.  As a result, these akonga have put together a booklet to share with Kamo High School. This is an example of wanting to manaaki the process of kotahitanga.

Pictured in our photo:

Back Row: Ange, Craig Hobson​​​​​​​
Middle Row: Vince Rudolph, Devandre Hobson, Zac Stout, Rhaines King, Supporter, Sam Busby, Poutu Maitu-Paparoa, Gisborne Ryder; Manaia Te Ua-Popata, Dontae Selwyn, Wiremu Archer
​​​​​​​Front Row: Annie Rudolph, Kiri Sloane Hobson (Director of REAP), Libby Walker, Jules Conrad-Ellis