Book Creator

Leeston School Curriculum 2022

by Kelly McHaffie

Cover

Loading...
Loading...
Leeston Consolidated School
He Puna Karumata
Comic Panel 3
Comic Panel 3
Comic Panel 3
Loading...
Curriculum
2022
Comic Panel 1
Contents
Welcome ...........................................................................................
Tūrangawaewae, Our Place ...........................................................
Waitātari Legend .............................................................................
Waiwhio Legend .............................................................................
Waikekewai Legend ........................................................................
Our Vision ........................................................................................
Leeston LEGENDS ...........................................................................
Our Values - Pillars of Care ............................................................
Ngā Mātāpuna o te Waihora Kāhui Ako ......................................
Te Whare Mauri Ora .......................................................................
Positive Behaviour for Learning ...................................................
Key Competencies ..........................................................................
Inquiry Learning .............................................................................
Biennial Plan ...................................................................................
Programmes of Work ....................................................................
Te Reo Pakeha / English .................................................................
Structured Literacy .........................................................................
Ngā Toi / The Arts ...........................................................................
Hauora & Hākinakina / Health & PE .............................................
Ngā Reo / Learning Languages .....................................................
Pāngarau / Mathematics ...............................................................
Pūtaiao / Science ............................................................................
Tikanga ā-Iwi / Social Science .......................................................
Hangarau / Technology .................................................................
Student Achievement ....................................................................
Learning Support ...........................................................................
Opportunities for Enrichment & Extension ................................
4
5
8
9
10
11
12
13
20
21
37
40
43
45
46
47
50
51
55
58
60
63
66
68
71
72
73
Comic Panel 1
Comic Panel 1
Comic Panel 1
Nau Mai, Haere Mai Ki Te Kura ō He Puna Karumata 
Welcome to Leeston School 
Leeston Consolidated School is a U5 State co-educational contributing primary school catering for children from Year One to Year Six. Most of the children contribute to the nearby Year Seven to Year Thirteen Ellesmere College (also in Leeston) where a wide range of learning options are available. Nearly half of the children travel to and from school by bus.

Leeston School opened in 1865. In April, 1935, Irwell and Doyleston schools were closed and the children travelled by bus to Leeston. The Lakeside school closed in February, 1940, and Brookside closed with a falling roll in 1944. In more recent times St Joseph’s Convent School which was based in Leeston also closed, hence the name, Leeston Consolidated School.

Parents are actively involved and encouraged with classroom programmes, sports, and Education outside the Classroom activities. The children, parents and staff have worked together to develop an exciting EOTC (Education outside the Classroom) programme for the whole school.

There are approximately 230 families at our school, 85% of NZ European/Pakeha descent, 14% Maori descent. Occupations include farmers, farm workers, business operators and professional people. There is also a growing commuter group that works in the greater Christchurch area. 

Leeston Consolidated School is a silver Enviroschool where the local environment is very important. The snow covered Kā Tiritiri o Te Moana (Southern Alps) are visible from the playground, to the west.
Tūrangawaewae Our Place
Comic Panel 1
Comic Panel 1
Comic Panel 1
Waitātari
Waiwhio
Waikekewai
Our Māori name, He Puna Karumata, was gifted to us by Taumutu Rūnunga based at Ngāti Moki Marae, Taumutu. Karumata is a name recorded for the Leeston area and He Puna refers to the many spring fed tributaries in our learning hub that feed into Te Waihora (Lake Ellesemere). Our learning blocks are named after three of these tributaries - Waitātari (Hart’s Creek), Waiwhio (Irwell River) and Waikekewai.

5
Tūrangawaewae Our Place
The traditional name for the lake was Te Kete Ika o Rākaihautū (the food basket of Rākaihautū), a reference to the abundance of native fish and other mahinga kai found there. The key fish species of Te Waihora include: pātiki (flounder), tuna (eels) and aua (mullet). Te Waihora is also a famed mahinga kai for manu waimāori (waterfowl) including numerous native duck species, such as the pūtakitaki (paradise duck) and pārera (grey duck).

Today, however, the richness of Te Waihora as a mahinga kai has been severely degraded, largely as a result of agricultural land use, lower lake levels due to drainage to the sea, and the loss of its significant wetland buffer. Despite this, it remains as a key mahinga kai of Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki and neighbouring hapū. In the past, the lake was much higher than at present and it was controlled by the people of Taumutu when it was almost breaching the spit. Kōrari or the flowering stalks of harakeke / NZ Flax were dragged across the sand to make the initial opening of the water to the sea. This management allowed for the regular passage of fish to and from the lake and maintained the abundant kai of Te Waihora.

There are seven key tributaries of the lake, including Kaituna; Huritini (Halswell River); Ararira (LII River); Waikirikiri (Selwyn River); Waiwhio (Irwell Stream); Waitātari (Harts Creek) and Waikekewai. Due to its significance, the lakebed of Te Waihora was returned to Ngāi Tahu through the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 and is subject to a Joint Management Plan developed by Ngāi Tahu and the Department of Conversation.

The swampy surrounds of Te Waihora, and the rivers and streams which are part of these wetlands, include the Waiwhio (Irwell River), Waitātari (Harts Creek) and Waikekewai. These areas provided the prime environment for native fish such as tuna (eels) and waterfowl such as pūtakitaki (paradise duck). Of particular importance to Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki is Waikekewai, which originates just south of Southbridge and flows past both Te Pā o Moki/Ngāti Moki marae and Ōrariki, before entering the lake at Te Koru. Waikekewai, like the Waiwhio and Waitātari are spring fed rivers, prized for their very clear and cool waters. Part of the Waikekewai catchment includes the very important springs known as Waiwhakaheketūpāpaku, which were used as water burial springs for significant tūpuna. To this very day, Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki are committed to ensuring the quality and quantity of water in Waikekewai (and other tributaries) protects the wāhi taonga and wāhi tapu status of these waterways and the values they hold.

The swampy surrounds of Te Waihora, and the rivers and streams which are part of these wetlands, include the Waiwhio (Irwell River), Waitātari (Harts Creek) and Waikekewai. These areas provided the prime environment for native fish such as
PrevNext