Report on Māori Language Verification Findings 2010
Papakura Normal School is part of a cluster of schools in
the Papakura area that comes under an Achievement Initiative whose focus is on
improving literacy. As such, any extra curricular activities like kappa haka
are done during “break time.” With a roll of 597, Papakura Normal School is the
largest primary school in the district.
What a joy it was to visit a school with such beautiful
gardens. Well-maintained flower gardens certainly add a touch of beauty to the
school environment.
In terms of long-term planning, all staff belong to teams.
Thus there is a blending of te reo and tikanga across all curriculum areas.
The bilingual unit is well-resourced and has access to
the computer suite. The essence of planning for te reo is how to communicate in
Māori.
The books that I saw for Years 3 and 4 are some of the
best examples of writing that I have seen in my visits to schools throughout NZ
over the last 10 years.
I spent a very happy afternoon enjoying the company of
the teachers and their pupils in the bilingual unit.
Verifier: Awi Riddell
Date of visit 31 May 2010