Have something to share? Get in contact with one of our Across School Leaders – we would love to hear from you!
[email protected] Te Ao Māori
[email protected] Hauora
[email protected] Future Ready
[email protected] 21st Century Learning
[email protected] Structured Literacy
Facebook Group
Exciting news! Kāhui Ako ki Orewa has launched a vibrant new Facebook community designed to ignite connection and collaboration among us all. This is your opportunity to dive into a dynamic space where we can share our incredible teaching and learning journeys, and celebrate the innovation happening across our schools. Ready to be inspired and connect with fellow educators? Click here to explore and join our fantastic community and let’s amplify the amazing work we do!
MoveNprove + PR1ME Maths
Nikau Classroom at Wainui School has been using moveNprove to help us with our PR1ME maths learning – courtesy of the Kāhui Ako ki Orewa website! Check out the maths resources under 21st Learning, where you can find them!
Nikau Classroom Maths Focus – Move n Prove!
In Nikau Classroom, we’ve been working with PR1ME Maths and noticed a challenge: identifying the maths hidden within word problems. To help with this, we started using the Move n Prove BLANK templates from the Kāhui Ako ki Orewa website.
We copied our word problems straight from our PR1ME books and added a visual to support understanding. We also included three answer options that are close—but not quite right—so we have to really think carefully!
Every day, we start our maths learning with a Move n Prove warm-up, and it’s making a big difference. We’re now getting much better at spotting the key math vocabulary, turning it into an equation, and solving it with confidence! This is providing us with many opportunities to create understanding, have robust discussions, discuss and defend our thinking without having to work in silo!
The OC Kura Kaupapa – Preparing Students for the Future
Orewa College is excited to introduce The OC Kura Kaupapa, a student-led podcast that amplifies student voice and builds future-ready skills.
Through this project, students are developing essential skills in communication, collaboration, digital production, and critical thinking. These skills are vital for success in today’s world and prepare students for the demands of the future. Podcasting also offers a modern alternative to traditional assessments, giving students fresh and engaging ways to demonstrate their learning.
Podcasting teaches students to move beyond consuming media and empowers them to become creators. This shift is key for preparing the next generation of leaders and innovators with the future-ready skills they need.
The team is preparing to record the first pilot episode, with a launch planned later this year on a platform still to be confirmed. We are excited to share the voices and creativity of our students with the wider community and Kāhui Ako schools.
Our student hosts are in action.
Minecraft – Build a School Activity
At Silverdale School, last term, we were examining the past, present, and future of our area and our school. Through this process, we evaluated what we believe are the best things about our school and things we would change if we could.
At the end of this, our students were able to design their own school using Minecraft. Over 5 sessions, they worked in pairs (or individually) to create their own schools. Their designs included classrooms, libraries, a cafeteria, a pool, animals (including livestock), roller coasters, gardens, water slides, and even a few bunkers.
Check out some of their images below!
Māori Lessons Ready for Term 3
We have worked through the holidays on our lessons and are pleased to announce that we now have junior, middle and senior lessons for teachers for Term 3 with teacher notes and interactive slide shows.
We have updated many of the older lessons to improve them and to cater to the growth of staff and students. We have made them more interactive with auto-play audio to take away the fear of mispronouncing the kupu.
You should be able to choose your target level, and which no experience be able to deliver a Māori lesson with confidence and support.
Take a look, have a go. Kia kaha te reo Māori!
Māori Lessons Overview Years 0-8 Levels 1-3 Term 3 Kāhui Ako ki Orewa 2025
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2025 is Around the Corner
This Term, in Week 10, we have our annual Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. This is just a heads up to start getting excited about the possibilities to celebrate and further lift Te Reo Māori in our teacher practice and collective kura.
The State of the Coast – Rangatahi Edition is here!
The Hibiscus Coast Youth Hauora Network has collaborated with local schools and organisations to create this report.
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed insights, data, reflections, and whakaaro to help shape our very first State of the Coast report focused on youth wellbeing.
Whether you filled in a survey, offered feedback, shared your mahi, or just encouraged the kaupapa – we see you, and we appreciate you.
This collective snapshot of youth hauora (ages 11–21) across the Hibiscus Coast is grounded in Te Whare Tapa Whā and offers a starting point for deeper connection, better coordination, and stronger advocacy.
You can read or download the full report here:
State of the Coast – Rangatahi Edition
This is just the beginning. The strength of our Coast is in the people, and this report reflects that – passionate providers, creative solutions, and a shared commitment to the wellbeing of our rangatahi.
Structured Literacy Leaders’ Hui
On Thursday, 12th of June, literacy leaders from some of our Kahui Ako ki Orewa schools got together to discuss writing at Silverdale School.
We unpacked writing through a Structured literacy lens and shared where we are all at with our journey into best evidence based practice for the teaching of writing in our kura.
We delved into the NZ English Curriculum and clarified what we need to be covering, and looked at how we can effectively do this within our schools.
It’s always so valuable to be able to share knowledge and have the opportunity for robust professional conversations with other passionate literacy colleagues.
A Reminder About The Simple View of Reading
By now most of us are familiar with the simple view of reading and it is often one of the first graphics to be shared when upskilling people on the foundations of structured literacy. This diagram does not represent an order as it has a commutative nature. It is really important that we remember that we don’t teach one first (decoding only) followed by the next element in the sum (language comprehension) but that we attend to both at all levels of schooling. Let’s ensure that we create opportunities for vocabulary building for our 5-year-olds and continue to explicitly teach word knowledge through an explicit programme for our older students.
“Both matter, both are essential, and they should be taught in tandem.”
“When we overlook language comprehension in the early grades, we unintentionally slow overall growth in reading comprehension. It’s not the theory that’s flawed, it’s the way some have interpreted the graphic.”
Dr. Stephanie Stollar
Or check out this Instagram video
Term 3 Hui Dates
Thursday 7th August – ASL @ Wainui School – WSL @ Orewa College
Friday 15th August – Ministry of Education TOD @ Silverdale School
Thursday 21st August – ASL @ Dairy Flat School – WSL @ Orewa College
Thursday 4th September -ASL @ Orewa Primary – WSL @ Orewa College
