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It is impossible not to be overawed by the Buller. Nature reigns big in these parts. On a 1040-meterhigh bed of rock, sleeps the giant Mount Rochfort, named after John Rochfort (1832–93) a pioneer survey-engineer who conducted mineral surveys of the Buller District. R ochfort broodily oversees the town of Westport and shares a plateau with Denniston, famed for its high-grade coal. Remnants of the impossibly steep Denniston incline railway, once an efficient, gravity driven conduit for coal wagons, and locally referred to as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’, are a visible reminder of the industry that built the district. The 1670-meter incline operated from 1880 to 1967 and once provided the only access to the Denniston settlement which was located about halfway up the mountain at the Brakehead. Coal-mining families endured extreme conditions on the bleak, windswept Denniston. The hard rock landscape ensured no garden Native flora welcome visitors to Westport North School would flourish nor grave be dug. In any Westport pub, you will still hear stories of Denniston folk packing their dancing clothes at the end of which burbles Deadman’s Creek. Only the tough and whizzing down the incline in a coal cart for a bit of social endured the inhospitable conditions on Denniston. Few would fun in the local town. Similarly, coal wagons hauled up supplies, have lingered to take in the splendid views of the Tasman Sea including mail, clothing and groceries and the dead were taken and coastal plains which, today, are a tourist’s delight and are down the incline for burial in the town cemetery on Utopia Road, clearly visible from the Brakehead.
The entrance to the school makes the intentions quite clear
The brooding Mt Rochfort watches over the town of Westport
Cath O’Loughlin, Principal of Westport North School
Nor would they have stopped to admire the cloak of dense native bush enveloping their mountainous world. Short of its use as a source of heat and fuel, the pristine podocarp forests, chock full of top-class kahikatea, matai, totara, miro and rimu, tree ferns, vines and ground ferns, were just another barrier to slash through, another force of nature to challenge the pioneering spirit of the intrepid coalminers. Down on the flat, the town of Westport was not without its environmental threats either. Its proximity to the Southern Alps creates an unusually high rainfall. In keeping with every other giant-sized natural feature of the region, the powerful Buller
River is one of our country’s longest and strongest, stretching 170 kms from Lake Rotoiti through the Buller Gorge to empty into the Tasman Sea at Westport. On an average day it flows at 429 cubic meters per second and in flood, holds the record of any New Zealand River at 14,000 cubic meters per second. The third flood in eight months had just pounded the town of Westport when I visited. It was sad to see so many yellow stickered houses (not safe to inhabit) but the pioneer spirit of ‘roll up your sleeves and get on with it’ was evident everywhere. Some houses were still under repair from the previous flood. It was inspiring to see neighbours helping neighbours clear
The three pou representing the values of Respect, Responsibility and Relationships
On The far side of the garden we can view the pergola. The children learn that they are the Kaitiaki (guardians) of the garden
The young ones read to each other
fallen trees, mud, silt and debris. Days before, volunteers had belonged at school and that their Māori culture was not just turned out from across the town to help rescue accepted but actively embraced and valued. those unable to evacuate in time and temporary The common goal for the school and parents accommodation had been brought in for families was that Māori children would succeed, not while houses were repaired. There is no time to by compromising their culture, beliefs and dwell on adversity in Westport. When you’re up values, but by practicing them and sharing against it and there’s work to be done, you get on them with all the children of Westport North with it. School. This latter goal was key. At so many At the local Westport North School, this same levels, what is good for Māori children is good attitude drives the cultural changes being led for all children, and Cath was right on board by principal Cath O’Loughlin. Cath has been with that way of thinking. principal of Westport North since 2015, after The first step was building a greater spending four years there as Deputy Principal. It appreciation of tikanga Māori with staff. was during her Deputy years that it was decided Already there were two teachers fluent in future generations of young people in Westport te reo who led the year 1 – 8 bilingual class can be raised with a full appreciation of tikanga from 2011. This was a first for Westport. But Māori, te reo and a Māori world view. The time unfortunately for Cath, these two were in high Child’s impression of their was right. Awareness that biculturalism benefitted demand and within a short time had left to principal, Cath O’Loughlin all New Zealanders was already growing. Parents, take up further responsibilities. particularly of Māori children, wanted their tamariki to feel they For the bilingual class to maintain its momentum, another
Children get ready to play poi rakau
The new entrant numbers are diminished from covid, but these little ones are keen to get on with their writing skills
Practising action songs is part of the whānau class learning
Learning to korero to the group
of the permanent teachers moved to Christchurch for a year to complete Hōaka Pounamu, a post-graduate diploma in bilingual teaching. ‘The commitment to this Kaupapa is so strong,’ explained Cath, ‘and for this teacher to take a year away from her family and school showed such dedication to what we are trying to achieve,’ she said. Cath was clear that a bicultural school wasn’t just about a single class with a teacher. She recognized they needed the entire staff on board to affect the culture change the school was after. Kaua e rangiruatia te hāpai o te hoe; e kore tō tatou waka e ū ki uta. Don’t paddle out of unison; our canoe will never reach the
shore. ‘This has been a long journey,’ she said, ‘because we wanted everyone heading in the same direction and committed to the same Kaupapa and that takes time.’ It also takes strong relationships and by the time she had taken the principal’s role, Cath was very clear that the local iwi would be fully involved and that her entire school community would understand why the changes were taking place and how everyone would benefit. Changes began gradually. The school’s values of Respect, Responsibility and Relationships are now described in all the school’s branding and publications as manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, tohungatanga and rangatiratanga. Three pou stand
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A quick game of cricket to warm up for the day
Padder tennis is endless fun while all the time improving coordination and timing
tall at the school’s entrance representing these values. Children identify with a broad range of iwi. across the school were taught the conventions of writing their ‘It is important to our tamariki to understand their cultural own pepiha and all classes now begin the identity,’ says Cath, ‘and all our tamariki are school day with a karakia. encouraged and helped to identify what iwi I visit the whānau (bilingual) room, which they belong to,’ she said. ‘It gives them pride has grown to two classes in the past couple and heightened esteem to know who they are of years. There are normally 22 children in and where they are from,’ she explained. the whānau room but with COVID ravaging The students are also given the task of the district, fewer than half the children translating an instruction from their teacher were present. Like every other school in the relating to the concept of manaakitanga. country, Westport North was suffering high What would you suggest a visitor might do case numbers of the Omicron variant and of in Westport? They constructed their list, the 245 children on the school roll, some 92 which was kindly intended for me. It was were absent. an impressively balanced list and clearly I enjoy a busy morning in the whānau demonstrated their knowledge and pride for room. We have our karakia, are addressed their town. It included physical features such Learning to dribble the hockey by one of the students, who delivers a very as the Lost Lagoon, Kawatiri Coastal River puck comprehensive pepiha, we practice waiata and Trail, Carter’s beach, the school garden, the action songs and play Poi Rākau, a traditional Māori game which Orowaiti river, mussel rock and Denniston; eateries such as Jays helps to build coordination skills. Ka mau te wehi! Fantastic. Café, the Denniston Dog and the Star Tavern at Cape Foulwind; I examine the whakapapa map and find that the tamariki and places of interest like the Coaltown museum, Denis’s Book Shop and the local library. It was also suggested I might like to browse the Op Shop because everything there is cheap! In the whānau ro om, te re o is spoken about 50 per cent of the day. What is helpful is that throughout the entire school, te reo is heard in every classroom ever y day. ‘Korero ki tou hoa’, you might hear in any classroom, meaning, ‘Talk to your friend.’ ‘He pai to mahi,’ a teacher will be saying to a Sports Academy students can take a break for a game of table tennis during the day
Principal Cath O’Loughlin takes a stroll around the tranquil school garden
student, meaning, ‘That’s good work.’ Gradually, te reo is for the children. becoming more and more common place as the school continues A new feature of the school is its beautifully designed garden its journey towards biculturalism. of which both staff and students are very proud. Westport North school has had its fair share of youngsters ‘We intend to start growing vegetables for our community in suffering anxiety and fears not just through the covid pandemic the future,’ says Cath, ‘and the children will gradually become but also because of the floods that have ravaged the district. Children’s wellbeing is therefore prominent at Westport North. The school adopts the concept of hauora which is built on ‘te whare tapa whā’ – the four pillars of the whare. Taha Hinengaro, mental and emotional wellbeing, Taha Wairua, spiritual wellbeing, Taha Tinana, physical wellbeing and Taha whānau, family and social wellbeing. The children can immediately see that all four pillars must be in balance and be strong to hold up the whare and are well versed in the practical implications of each. It is a powerful At Westport North children work indoors with the doors and windows open to keep the room well ventilated model and easily relatable and protect them all from covid
Pipiha conventions are taught throughout the school
The Tino Rangatiratanga flag hangs proudly alongside the New Zealand flag in the [bicultural] whānau room
more involved in the planting, nurturing and harvesting of creating a pathway to do better in mental activities as well as produce,’ she explained. Meanwhile it is a tranquil retreat for physical. It is also known as full circle training where sport, both staff and students. strength and mind are all developed together The second major distinguishing feature of to help an athlete reach their full potential. Westport North School is its Sports Academy. The youngsters in the academy certainly ‘The academy was set up in 2014 for engage in more sporting and physical children in years five to eight,’ Cath tells me. activities than others and the physical bouts Part of the rationale for the sports academy during the day provide a release for pent was to raise success levels for the underup energy, for ameliorating frustration and achievers. These were youngsters who curbing anger outbursts. through behaviour management issues or ‘Sometimes just a short spell playing table concentration issues were not achieving as tennis or going for a run around the field will well as they might. do the trick,’ says Nick, ‘but we also develop ‘Some of the children in the academy are sports skills in the students.’ very high sporting achievers,’ explains Nick, ‘The net affect is that the mind training who heads up the Academy, ‘and some of involving discipline, self-management and them are here to use physical activity to focus which are required to participate in a channel their energies differently, modify game, is eventually transferred to academic their behaviour and improve their academic activities,’ says Nick. results.’ So, is it working? Principles underlying the rationale for the ‘There are definitely improvements in Assistant Principal Nick Machin academy include training the mind through academic performance,’ says Nick, ‘and at heads up the Sports Academy training the body. It means that intent and the same time, all of these kids are improving focus in physical performance is transferred to cognitive training their sports skills.’ It is not just those in the sports academy who love sport and physical activities at Westport North. Physical education is a favourite for every class. Routinely, teachers take their children out for physical education. each morning. ‘Physical exercise helps kids to settle and concentrate,’ says Nick. ‘It’s good for all kids, not just the academy kids.’ Westport North is a school on the rise. All would agree that biculturalism is just part way into its journey, and the sports academy has more to achieve too. But as each teacher in turn revealed, the key to achieving more lies with the leadership, direction and support they all get from principal Cath O’Loughlin. As one teacher put it, Cath brings us all together and we’re a close team. We’re loving the journey, we’re all in it together and we all support each other. Children at the school would agree. ‘I like school,’ said one young student, ‘because the teachers here care about what you think and they listen to us.’ Westport North School? Highly recommended! Classroom boundaries can be extended outside in good weather
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