Welcome to Term Three, everyone!

It was the most wonderful first week of the term.  I thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with every student and parent again after being away last term.

Our Letter of the Week was Kk for Kiwifruit.  This linked beautifully to creating fruit kebabs with kiwifruit, grapes, apples, mandarins, bananas and marshmallows.

All tamariki were involved in cutting the fruit into halves and quarters, as well as counting segments of mandarins in ones and  twos.

This activity also linked to our Oral Language where we had been talking about how objects feel.  Words such as slippery, slimy and smooth were all used when describing different fruits.

The best part of this activity was eating the delicious fruit kekab!  Ka pai Kopa Wha!

Every learner arrives in our classroom with their own strengths, experiences, identity, language, and ways of learning. As kaiako, how do we ensure that every learner can access, engage with, and succeed in learning?

This kōpā caters for tamariki in Tau 3–6, bringing together four year levels with diverse strengths, experiences, and stages of learning. Each learner is on their own unique learning journey, and our teaching approaches are intentionally designed to recognise and respond to these differences.

Our Tau 3 learners are building strong foundations in their learning. They are developing their confidence, comprehension, and understanding of new concepts through explicit teaching, modelling, and guided practice.

Our Tau 4 learners are beginning to deepen their understanding and make stronger connections within their learning. While they are becoming increasingly confident, several tamariki continue to benefit from additional scaffolding and targeted support to strengthen their comprehension and accelerate their progress.

Our Tau 5 learners demonstrate an emerging awareness of their own learning strengths and needs. They engage positively with learning opportunities and continue to develop greater independence through purposeful guidance and opportunities to extend their thinking.

Our Tau 6 learners display a strong understanding of learning expectations and are increasingly able to apply their knowledge across a range of contexts. They play an important leadership role within the kōpā, modelling positive learning behaviours and supporting their tēina through collaboration, encouragement, and shared learning experiences.

Within our kōpā, one learner with Takiwātanga demonstrates exceptional mathematical thinking and has a genuine passion for mathematics. While literacy remains an area for continued development, personalised strategies and inclusive classroom practices provide opportunities for this learner to build confidence and experience success across all areas of the curriculum.

There are also several tamariki in Tau 3–4 who are currently working below expected curriculum levels. These learners possess many strengths, particularly in creativity, artistic expression, and the confident use of digital technologies. They benefit from explicit instruction, regular opportunities for guided practice, and additional individual support to strengthen their comprehension and build confidence as independent learners.

Across the kōpā, many tamariki are developing their independence as learners. While they continue to benefit from clear, step-by-step instruction and structured guidance, they are gradually building the skills and confidence needed to take greater ownership of their learning.

Many of our learners thrive through kinaesthetic, creative, and experiential learning opportunities. They make meaningful connections when learning is hands-on, collaborative, and linked to authentic, real-life experiences. Providing opportunities to explore, create, discuss, and reflect enhances both engagement and understanding.

As digital natives, our tamariki confidently engage with digital technologies, which provide familiar and relevant contexts for learning. Integrating digital tools alongside culturally responsive pedagogy supports learners to access, explore, and demonstrate their understanding in meaningful ways.

Our tamariki have a strong sense of identity as Māori and are proud uri of our iwi. Their language, culture, and identity are central to who they are and provide a powerful foundation for learning. While English is a significant part of their everyday lives, continuing to strengthen the purposeful use of te reo Māori across learning contexts will further deepen their understanding, confidence, and connection to their learning. Creativity also remains a significant strength within our kōpā and provides valuable opportunities for tamariki to communicate their ideas, demonstrate their understanding, and engage with learning in ways that are meaningful to them.

Recognising and valuing the unique strengths, interests, identities, and learning preferences of each learner enables us to create an inclusive learning environment where every tamaiti is supported to participate, achieve success, and realise their full potential.

How do we currently respond to this diversity?

Our key focus this year is to strengthen and advance all areas of literacy through Rangaranga-Reo-ā-Tā. This approach has been intentionally developed to support Structured Literacy and to enhance outcomes in pānui, tuhituhi, and reo ā-waha.

Through this framework, I am able to effectively cater for a range of learning needs by carefully planning and implementing Tūārere 1 and 2. This ensures that all ākonga are supported at their appropriate level and are provided with clear, structured pathways for success.

My ākonga engage positively with this approach; however, at times, concepts need to be revisited and reinforced to ensure secure understanding and consolidation of learning.

Within my Year 3–4 cohort, some ākonga find aspects of comprehension within this resource more challenging, and therefore benefit from additional scaffolding, repetition, and targeted support to strengthen their understanding and confidence.

Overall, all tamariki are capable learners, and with consistent, structured teaching approaches, they are able to grow, progress, and achieve success in literacy.

Rangaranga-Reo-ā-Tā: Responding to Learner Diversity Through Structured Literacy

Rangaranga-Reo-ā-Tā is a structured, evidence-informed literacy framework that supports the teaching and learning of pānui (reading), tuhituhi (writing), and reo ā-waha (oral language) in te reo Māori. As the Māori-medium equivalent of Structured Literacy, it provides a systematic and sequential approach to developing foundational literacy knowledge and skills, including phonological awareness, phonics, spelling, vocabulary, and grammar.

Grounded in mātauranga Māori, the framework draws on the metaphor of tukutuku, where each strand is carefully woven together to create a strong and meaningful whole. Just as a tukutuku panel is constructed by laying a solid foundation before adding increasingly complex patterns, Rangaranga-Reo-ā-Tā builds literacy through carefully sequenced learning that enables ākonga to develop confidence, fluency, and deep understanding over time.

The framework is underpinned by three key principles:

• Scope – identifying the essential knowledge and skills that learners need to develop.
• Sequence – introducing concepts in a logical and cumulative order that builds on prior learning.
• Pace – delivering learning at an appropriate rate to ensure understanding, consolidation, and ongoing progress.

As a key component of Te Reo Matatini within Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, Rangaranga-Reo-ā-Tā supports kaiako to deliver explicit, high-quality literacy instruction while responding to the diverse strengths, identities, and learning needs of all ākonga. Through ongoing Professional Learning and Development (PLD), the framework continues to strengthen culturally responsive and evidence-informed literacy practices across Māori-medium education.

By intentionally weaving together structured teaching, culturally grounded pedagogy, and responsive classroom practice, Rangaranga-Reo-ā-Tā empowers every learner to access literacy, build confidence, and achieve success in ways that honour their language, culture, and identity.

Reflecting on Rangaranga-Reo-ā-Tā: Responding to Learner Diversity

Which learners in your classroom would benefit most from this approach?

Rangaranga-Reo-ā-Tā benefits every learner by providing a structured and inclusive approach to literacy. In my classroom, it is particularly valuable for ākonga who require additional support with foundational literacy skills, including those who need more time, repetition, and explicit teaching to develop confidence in pānui, tuhituhi, and reo ā-waha. It also supports learners who are progressing at different rates by providing clear, sequential learning experiences that can be adapted to meet their individual needs. By intentionally planning for a range of learning abilities, I am able to ensure that every learner is appropriately challenged and supported to make meaningful progress.

How might Rangaranga-Reo-ā-Tā remove barriers to learning?

Rangaranga-Reo-ā-Tā helps remove barriers to learning by making literacy instruction explicit, systematic, and predictable. Rather than expecting learners to discover patterns independently, it provides clear modelling, guided practice, and regular opportunities to revisit and consolidate new learning. This structured approach reduces cognitive overload, builds confidence, and allows learners to develop essential literacy skills at a pace that supports long-term success. The framework also enables me to differentiate my teaching, ensuring that learning is accessible while maintaining high expectations for all ākonga.

What opportunities could it create for students to experience success?

Rangaranga-Reo-ā-Tā creates multiple opportunities for learners to experience success by establishing strong literacy foundations that they can continue to build upon. As learners gain confidence and mastery of new skills, they become more willing to participate, take risks, and engage actively in learning. The framework fosters a sense of achievement through consistent progress, allowing ākonga to recognise their own growth and celebrate their successes. Ultimately, it nurtures capable, confident learners who are empowered to succeed in literacy while strengthening their identity, language, and culture through te reo Māori.

Drop, Cover and Hold in room 2.

We practiced what to do if we ever have an earthquake. Drop, (Under a desk or table), Cover your head with a hand, hold onto the table leg!

If outside drop down, cover your head!

Have you practiced this? have you ever been in an earthquake?

Tērā Puanga ka rewa i te pae. Nau mai, haere mai ngā hua o te Tau Hou Māori.

Ka rere ngā whakaaro ki a rātou kua wheturangi atu. Piki ake koutou ki te Whata nā Maru, kia ruiruia e te kūpenga o Taramainuku kia wheturangi atu koutou ki te pō e. Haere atu rā eeee. Rātou kia rātou. Tātou ngā waihotanga iho.

As we farewell Te Maru o te Tau, we also take time to remember and honour our loved ones who have journeyed to Te Whata-nā-Maru, where they become the stars that continue to watch over us. We then welcome the arrival of Te Tahi o te Tau, as the Māori New Year embraces us and marks a time of reflection, renewal, and hope.

To celebrate this special occasion, Te Kāhui o ngā Mātā Raukura gathered for a noho marae at Kairau Marae, one of our local marae. This provided a meaningful opportunity not only to celebrate Puanga, but also to strengthen our hononga (connections) with the marae and the local hapū of Pukerangiora.

Our kaupapa centred on celebrating Puanga and welcoming Te Tau Hou Māori through the values of kōtahitanga, whanaungatanga, and whakanui. Throughout the term, our tamariki worked collaboratively to create beautiful pieces of artwork for our kāhui fundraiser, which were showcased in a silent auction.

During our noho, tamariki and whānau shared a delicious kai hākari, lovingly prepared by our whānau. We concluded this special occasion with Whakamanawa Pēpi, a cherished time where we welcomed and celebrated the pēpi born within our kura whānau over the past year.

The noho was filled with aroha, harikoa, and kōtahitanga, creating lasting memories as our tamariki celebrated alongside their whānau, peers, and kura community. It was a meaningful experience that strengthened connections, honoured tradition, and embraced the spirit of the Māori New Year.

Elevating Our Practice with Gemini: Crafting Bespoke Reo Māori Resources

Tēnā koutou katoa,

As a Manaiakalani school, we are consistently encouraged to explore innovative digital tools that enhance our pedagogy and enrich our shared resource portfolios. Recently, I engaged with the Bilingual Gemini Games Toolkit, exploring how we can leverage AI to design interactive, curriculum-aligned games to embed directly into our class sites.

The process is remarkably straightforward, yet highly effective. Even with a foundational prompt, the output is incredibly robust:

The Base Prompt: > “Create a game for my Tau [Year Level] who are focussing on [Learning Intent/Topic].”

Tip: You can easily layer this prompt with deeper specificities—such as particular achievement objectives or localised contexts—to ensure the game is highly intentional and targeted.

Addressing a Resource Gap in Te Reo Māori

As many of us know, sourcing high-quality, interactive Reo Māori digital resources can be a significant challenge—particularly when looking for targeted practice in kupu building, describing words, and complex sentence structures.

I am incredibly excited about this tool because it allows us to bridge that gap, giving us the agency to generate bespoke, culturally responsive resources in seconds.

I highly recommend exploring this toolkit to see how it can support your current planning. Have you experimented with utilizing Gemini to design games for your akonga yet? I would love to hear how it went!

We have been reflecting on a busy and exciting Term 2!

Our favourite highlight was definitely our big adventure to Lake Rotokare, where we walked through the beautiful bush. Back at school, we also learned all about trapping and we even caught 3 hedgehogs! We also loved celebrating Puanga together with a delicious school breakfast alongside our friends and wonderful whānau.

We are so incredibly proud of how much our amazing Miromiro learners have grown and discovered over the last 11 weeks! We hope you enjoy reading our blog.