Rural school is area’s best kept secret spot
The new principal of Wharepapa South School says the tiny rural school is Te Awamutu’s best-kept secret.
Carol-Lynn Hill has big plans for the school of 27 pupils and two teachers.
The first-time principal has more than 20 years of experience in teaching, having taught at Cambridge Primary School for 14 years and most recently, Pekerau Primary School.
One of Carol-Lynn’s first jobs is to consult with the local community about developing a new curriculum.
“We want our curriculum to reflect the spirit of the school and honour what is unique about it.”
The school recently held a community day to ask locals for their ideas about the curriculum and enjoy a day of games, bouncy castles and horse rides.
“We are asking the community, ‘What sort of dispositions and traits do you want the learners at our school to have when they graduate? What makes a Wharepapa kid?’”
“It’s really important that our curriculum reflects our community.”
Carol-Lyn says the ‘community feel’ of Wharepapa South is what makes the school special.
“The whole community is very strong. Our recent prize giving, for example, wasn’t just attended by parents, but by members of the community, too.”
Carol-Lynn is encouraging parents — local and from further away — to enrol their children and consider the benefits of a small rural school.
“We are taking enrolments now for 2019.”
“Wharepapa South is only a 20-minute drive, a beautiful drive from Te Awamutu.
“I’m so surprised that more people aren’t attracted to the rural school setting. We offer a ratio of one teacher to 12 pupils next year.
“There’s more individual time. We teach to the students’ needs.”
The school teaches students from Year 1-8 and Carol-Lynn says that comes with many advantages.
“The benefit of a multilevel classroom, to give one example, is seniors helping juniors and juniors seeing role modelling.”
Carol-Lynn says the school will be having a major focus on literacy next year.
“From 2019 onwards, teachers will complete a comprehensive literacy screening assessment on every student that, along with other checklists, can highlight potential indicators of dyslexia.
“Because we have such low teacher to pupil ratio, our teachers will then develop an individual literacy learning plan for every student.”
Carol-Lynn says the school is proud to incorporate te reo Ma¯ ori into learning.
“We say a karakia every morning. And in each class, at the start of the day, a student will come to the front and present what’s happening in the day — and it’s all in te reo.
“I credit all the teachers before me for that.
“The teachers are also taking professional development, learning how to build closer relationships with local marae.”
Carol-Lynn is also excited about the arrival of two new teachers.
She will be joined by Ana Stites, from Te Awamutu Primary School and Renee Forkert, from Whitikahu School.
“These teachers are experienced and motivated.
“We’re going to have an amazing year.”