Children join their group and spend two-morning blocks exploring and learning about their chosen passion. The afternoon block is used as a time to reflect and share their morning. We also spend time in the afternoon taking care of our school by tidying up and representing the grounds for the next fortnight. This is part of our Manaaki Papatuanuku (Taking care of mother earth) program.
Project-based learning is used in this school to engage children in their learning. We try to offer a range of experiences and opportunities at different times of the year. We invite community members to join us and teach their passions or skills. We believe children are all gifted in a variety of ways and hope that through these experiences and their curiosity they can demonstrate their strengths and shine through!
Our program;
- Increases motivation, engagement and fosters curiosity
- Helps children think about how to become problem solvers
- Empowers student’s voice and honours student choice
- Teaches grit, perseverance, growth mindset and self-regulation
- Deepens understanding beyond memorising facts
- Makes research meaningful
- Fortifies the importance of asking good questions
- Enables students to take charge of their own learning
Waitati School 