Whakamarama School embarks on hauora journey through connection to local pūrākau

Whakamarama School in Tauranga has embraced a whole school approach to hauora under the leadership of its tumuaki/principal and with the support of Sport Bay of Plenty’s education team.

Sandy Sheterline, a Healthy Active Learning advisor with Sport Bay of Plenty, has been working with Whakamarama School over the last couple of years to explore opportunities for health and wellbeing at the school.

“During that time the school has reconnected with a local pūrākau/story about a taniwha protecting the Wairoa area in Tauranga where the school is located.

“With that came greater connection to the school’s environment and locality and, as a result, the school has since visited a local marae and found new ways to incorporate physical activity.”

Sheterline explains it all started in 2022 when the school’s staff explored Te Kura Tapa Whā – a health and wellbeing framework for a whole school approach to wellbeing centred around the Māori learner.

“The model is an extension of Tā Mason Durie’s Te Whare Tapa Whā framework covering taha tinana (physical wellbeing), taha hinengaro (mental and emotional wellbeing), taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing) and taha whānau (social wellbeing), and has been a great framework to help schools explore opportunities to support their student’s health and wellbeing.”

As part of learning Te Kura Tapa Whā, school staff reflected on the stories, environment, classroom experiences and presentation of the school. As a result, the school learnt more about, and reconnected with, Te Pura o Wairoa pūrākau – a local story about a guardian taniwha of Wairoa in Tauranga Moana.

The pūrākau of Te Pura was subsequently shared with all tamariki and whānau and has become a catalyst for exploring health and wellbeing opportunities across the whole school, as well as sparked an interest in localised curriculum. School staff and Sport Bay of Plenty’s Healthy Active Learning kaimahi continue to explore pūrākau through movement.

The exploration of Te Kura Tapa Whā framework also reinforced the need for and importance of Whakamarama School connecting with a local marae. During a recent visit to that marae the school had the opportunity to learn ngā taonga tākaro (traditional Māori games). The marae connection also resulted in a waiata being taught and gifted to the kura, and students in the school’s kapa haka group created further opportunity for movement by putting actions to the waiata.

The Sport Bay of Plenty team also held a professional learning day with staff to explore the MoveWell physical education resource and learn kemu/games that support te reo Māori.

“It’s been amazing to see how the strengths-based approach of Te Kura Tapa Whā has been the catalyst for Whakamarama School to explore what hauora could mean in their school environment, and guided them to find new ways and means of physical activity.

“By reconnecting with the pūrakau of Te Pura taniwha they’ve also formed stronger connections with their local community, and it has helped tamariki and their whānau learn more about where they live and their local environment.”