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| NZPPA Visiting David Henry School |
On Wednesday 11 June 2025, members of the NZ Pasifika Principals Association (NZPPA) travelled to Tokoroa for their termly meeting and gathering. Each term our association endeavours to take our meetings to schools and centres to ensure more of our members have a chance to attend and showcase the amazing work they are doing.
We departed Auckland and we spent the night in Mangakino at Maraetai Lodge. The accomodation was amazing and suited exactly what we required. For dinner we booked into the Mangakino RSA and enjoyed a delicious meal and fellowship. It was important for us to connect with each other and prepare for the amazing day visiting Tokoroa Schools and our members the following day.
DAVID HENRY SCHOOL – Miss Naima Placid, Principal (NZPPA Member)
Our first visit was to David Henry School where Miss Naima Placid is the Principal. She is an active member of NZPPA and she was our key contact in putting together our Tokoroa Programme. We were welcomed with aroha and pride and left feeling totally appreciated, welcome and in awe of what was happening at DHS. A highlight was seeing how their school welcomes new students and to see the way new students and families were embraced and welcomed put tears in our eyes. The way they also took the most important elements of the Powhiri and made them applicable to their own context in a respectful and honest way meant that all their languages and cultures felt welcome and could participate.
CARGILL OPEN PLAN SCHOOL – Whaea Donna Jones, Principal
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| NZPPA Visiting Cargill School |
We then visited Cargill School which is built in a way that fully embraced open plan teaching. She was supported in her talk by Wayne Lunjevich who is a Maori Achievement Collaborative (MAC) Facilitator for the Waikato Region. Their talk on was key parts of the MAC journey and the ways in which the school has gone about transforming their culture. Cargill School has a new refreshed look with updated teaching facilities and resources. They are a small school with a big heart!
TAINUI FULL PRIMARY SCHOOL – Mr Hadyn Wright, Principal
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| NZPPA Visiting Tainui School |
At Tainui Full Primary School we were greeted at the gate by their amazing Tumuaki who was standing in the rain with umbrellas for us. We were again welcomed by students and staff in a way that made us all feel welcome and loved. One of their amazing teachers, Jaemie Sheck gave us a run down of the school and the journey they had been on to use music as a tool to connect and empower their students. The singing was outstanding and something their principal Hadyn was so proud of.
RAUKAWA FM RADIO STATION
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| NZPPA visiting Raukawa FM |
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| NZPPA visiting Raukawa FM |
Located in Tokoroa, Raukawa FM is a radio station that started broadcasting in 1990. Its team includes Homai Uerata, Barney Teao, Cilla Gardiner, Hemi Curtis, Josiah Teokotai, Nancy Uerata and many others. We were invited along to participate in something fun for their media platform. We were placed in teams and asked to taste 6 different Corned Beef brands and match these to the can they came out of. This was hilarious and a heap of fun.
STRATHMORE SCHOOL – Whaea Noa Tereu, Principal (NZPPA Member)
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| NZPPA Visiting Strathmore School |
We then visited Strathmore School and were hosted by the very vibrant and hilarious Noa Tereu, Principal who is almost completing 2 terms as Principal. She shared with us about her connection to Tokoroa and how she has worked her way up to becoming principal. She shared with us about the amazing Reading League Programme which was established alongside the NZ Warriors and how it incorporates fun and games to promote reading across the school and at home.
TOKOROA HIGH SCHOOL – Papa Willie Ford, Principal (NZPPA Member)
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| NZPPA Visiting Tokoroa High School |
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| NZPPA Visiting Tokoroa High School – Papa Willie Ford Principal |
Our final visit was to Tokoroa High School and we were met with a traditional Cook Island Turou and Powhiri. This incorporated Maori, Cook Island and Samoan. We were then taken to the staffroom and enjoyed an amazing lunch with the staff and senior students. Ms Tarai welcomed us and share the schools journey with building a stronger connection with the community in particular the local churches. The family like context of the school was truely evident and a highlight of our visit.
Our NZPPA would like to thank all those that opened their schools to us and to finish this blog I will share the words of our President – Tuifa’asisina Bert Iosia:
“Malo lava le soifua wonderful NZPPA family, I hope and pray this finds you all safe and well. I return thanks above for travelling mercies and covering over your many mahi you are involved in and for the many hats that you wear. I would like to acknowledge just from the Tokoroa trip last week the amazing Karl Vasau, whose organisation prowess and his ability to connect our NZPPA members and motivate them to do something amazing for our membership was simply awesome. Hosted by Whaea Naima of David Henry School, whose students and staff put so much effort into their welcome and Korowaitanga, it was heartfelt and warm. We then connected with MAC and Whaea Donna of Cargill School, a nana who had so much energy for her kura it put me to shame. Then connecting with Tainui school and their kaupapa around waiata as being a medium of expression and identity and then seeing a fresh Tumuaki at Strathmore kura into her Principalship for two terms and just smashing it and still smiling!! Concluding our amazing day of engagement with Matua Wiremu and the staff of Tokoroa High School was they cherry on top before reflecting with each other about our take away learning. Seeing a cluster of schools genuinely working collaboratively together to achieve success and meanifngul outcomes for their learners and communities, was a true example of a successful Kahui Ako model and Place Based learning at its best!
