Our Learning
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Teachers at Whangaparāoa School develop strong relationships with the children in their class. They spend time getting to know each individual and their strengths and needs, then use what they learn to plan for and deliver a classroom curriculum that engages and challenges.
Our teachers are on a learning journey alongside their children as they develop their craft of teaching. They understand their role in creating a wonderful community now and for the future.
Our Teaching
At Whangaparaoa School we believe that reading is central to a child’s understanding of the school curriculum and is of vital importance in life. Fluent readers can access a full range of life experiences and can enjoy an amazing breadth of genres and writers.
We aim to develop a love and appreciation of reading which will stay with children for life. We hope to achieve this through careful planning and teaching using up-to-date strategies. We aim to use good reading materials and resources within Literacy lessons and regular Guided Reading sessions
Reading
We consider a successful writing programme to be one where students enjoy writing. They produce quality writing using interesting vocabulary that is relevant to the genre and that enables the reader to ‘visualise' what the writer is saying.
Our teachers strive to provide meaningful, exciting experiences that ignite imagination. They balance this with teaching the skills necessary to construct well written pieces across different genres.
Writing
Our students develop an understanding of how numbers work and improve their strategies for manipulating numbers. Basic facts need to be recalled quickly and accurately. Maths isn’t just about numbers. It develops students’ ability to problem solve, develop logic and reasoning, analyse, and think critically, creatively and most importantly to solve problems correctly.
Our teacher’s have high expectations for students’ achievement in mathematics and we encourage our students to have high expectations of their own work. Students have access to a range of equipment and are given opportunities to solve realistic problems relevant to their everyday lives.
Our Teaching
Mathematics
At Whangaparāoa School, we have an Inquiry Model across all year levels to support our students as they build the skills and knowledge needed to be ethical, curious and organised learners. Our learning begins with exploration and questioning and leads to investigation, with a focus on inquiring into worthy questions, issues or ideas.
The benefits of learning through inquiry include higher order thinking and improved problem solving skills. It increases personal ownership for learning, develops skills of research and a student’s ability to determine the importance of information.
Inquiry
Ko tōu reo, ko tōku reo, te tuakiri tangata
Tīhei uriuri, tīhei nakonako
Your voice and my voice are expressions of identity
May our descendants live on and our hopes be fulfilled
We are committed to prioritising professional learning and development for staff so they can strengthen their use of te reo Māori and develop their understanding of tikanga Māori. In this way, we can support our tamariki as we affirm te reo Māori as a taonga, a treasure to nurture; as a source of the identity of Aotearoa; and as one of the official languages of our country. We understand the uniqueness of Te Ao Māori, a Māori worldview, and observe tikanga Māori in many of our practices.
Te Reo
Positive, purposeful, and plentiful movement experiences at school can foster a love for recreational activity and sport.
Our innovative and collaborative teaching approaches support all children in discovering, exploring and enhancing their movement skills that they can then choose to apply to any physical activity context of their choice.
Movement
We believe computers are tools that have the power to increase engagement in our students learning and optimise productivity, communication and connectivity whilst enhancing creativity, collaboration and innovation.
They give us the ability to individualise our instruction and personalise learning. Computers support our vision for the learner of connecting, challenging and empowering them. As a tool they enable students, families and teachers to access their learning anytime and anywhere.
e-Learning
Te toi whakairo, ka ihiihi, ka wehiwehi, ka aweawe te ao katoa.
Artistic excellence makes the world sit up in wonder.
At Whangaparāoa School we value the Arts. Our students benefit from a regular Performing Arts program with a highly trained expert and are given opportunities to shine on stage.
Visual arts are incorporated into our curriculum at every opportunity as a way to express our culture, creativity and ideas.