Tautai O Le Moana – Principal Study Tour to Niue | New Zealand Pasifika Principals Association

Tautai O Le Moana – Principal Study Tour to Niue

Aug 15, 2024

Photo: Tautai O Le Moana Principals Study Tour to Niue 2024 – Arrived in Niue

Recently I had the absolute pleasure to co lead with Jerry Leaupepe a Principals Study Tour to Niue. Our Principals have participated in the Tautai O Le Moana (TolM) professional development programme which is the professional development arm of the NZ Pasifika Principals Association (NZPPA). As part of this journey, TolM has organised and planned, alongside the Department of Education in Niue, a Study Tour Trip in August 2024. At the same time as this study tour to Niue there were two other study tours – one to Samoa and one to Tonga.

The goals of the 3 Study tours were:

Recognise the value of ‘place-based’ learning experiences that strengthen our educational lens to grow our leadership capabilities to improve outcomes for Pacific learners.
Provide participants with numerous learning experiences; opportunities to build and maintain connections to learners’ heritages that strengthen who they are and aspire to be; build and further strengthen educationally powerful connections with learners, staff, aiga and communities in their space thereby strengthening leaders cultural lens’ and understandings of the richness and value of being a part of Pacific Island cultures and traditions and experiencing culture, language and identity as treasures.
Connect participants with education in the islands, educators, and learners in their homeland with the aim of building your cultural knowledge, aspirations for learners, and leadership through a cultural lens.

Goals Specific for Niue:

While in Niue visit the Niue ECE, Primary and Secondary schools and provide support in the way of mentoring, support, and guidance to the Principals and teachers
Provide PLD for the staff and leadership in the schools and Govt departments in the form of a mini-conference, staff or team meetings and parent workshops
Build our collective knowledge and understanding of the Niuean people and culture to enhance our own NZ practice
Build and further strengthen our networks and collegiality amongst each other and Principals in the Pacific

Photo: Our Study Tour Group waiting to board our plane in NZ

Our Study tour group for Niue comprised of:

Jerry Leaupepe – Lead/ Facilitator for TolM
Karl Vasau – Lead/ Facilitator for TolM/ Principal Rowandale School
Fa’amatuainu Andrew Mailei – Principal St Pius X School
Bert Iosia – Principal Kelston Intermediate School
Sue Smith – Principal Upper Harbour School
Bernice Matautia – Principal Mangere Bridge School
Mike Piper – Principal St Mary MacKillop School
Arona Sa – Principal St Josephs School
Caroline Von Sierakowski – Principal Wakaaranga School
Wendy Poole – Associate Principal Wakaaranga School
Vaitimu Togi Lemanu – Principal Sutton Park School
Allison Hamilton – Principal Ruapotaka School
Mac Ikitule – Deputy Principal Rowandale School
Georgina Manuele – Assistant Principal Rowandale School
Ilatose Fuataga – Senior Teacher Rowandale School
Hunteur Hamilton (Daughter of Allison)
Liz Leaupepe (Wife of Jerry/ Bader Intermediate)

Day One: Monday 5 August

We arrived in Niue and were met at the airport by Senior Staff from the Schools and Education Departments. The warm temperature was a welcome relief from the cold weather we had come from in NZ and our group from the outset felt welcome and loved. We travelled over to our accomodation for the week – Matavai Scenic Resort, checked in and prepared ourselves for the planned welcome later in the evening.

Photo: Welcome at Pacific Way

We travelled to the Pacific Way establishment and it was there that we were officially welcomed to Niue. Our whole group were totally taken a aback by the warmth and generosity of the Niue Educators who went above and beyond with entertainment, refreshments and nek level Kai!

Here are some of the reflections the participants wrote about our first day in Niue:

The family vibe was evident from the time we touched base and the food was amazing.
Overwhelmed at the hospitality and manaaki shown to us
Wow, just wow! The hospitality was overwhelming
Connections from the go, so friendly, first sight of uga!! So much Alofa
Lost for words, great hospitality and beautiful spread of Niuean cuisine you would never get back in NZ
A lovely aiga feel at Pacific way, everyone was so welcoming and it definitely set the tone of our tour
Love, love, loved this whole time even though it was overwhelming meeting so many people in my family but very friendly, loving and cared for
Food was over the top but again love, love, love it and felt so special and very much appreciated
What a way to start the tour

Day Two: Tuesday 6 August

Photo: Visit to Niue Primary School

Today we visited the Niue Primary School and were welcomed traditionally by some of their most fierce warriors. The welcome assembly set the tone for the day with prayers, songs, laughter, tears and warmth. The school showcased everything that is amazing about their school and all the things they are looking forward to with regards to our visit. This was followed by a yummy morning tea.

In the middle block we visited classrooms and got to see close up some of the learning going on in the classrooms. The classrooms and learning spaces were well used and students were engaged and on task. They were so excited to see us and in some cases our presence was a welcome distraction for them and the teachers.

We also participated in a number of Niue traditional craft and sporting activities which the Principals found fun and the students enjoyed playing these with us. The use on natural resources like the Coconut Tree and all its many parts reflected for many of us that its the simple things in life that can sometimes make the biggest difference or have a positive affect.

Here are some of the reflections the participants wrote about our Visit to Niue Primary School:

Teachers were resourceful and relied on their local knowledge to make an impact in their classroom.
Laughter and fun. The sing off at the end was epic!
Wow! The engagement was remarkable. Children are highly engaged and knowledgeable.
Children were so confident and capable when speaking about their learning and sharing about themselves
Whole school – staff and students, dogs and chickens – so open to us being there, so willing to chat and share. Wonderful example of teaching and relationships. Instant connection. Loved the ‘song off’ as we finished
Enriching experience from the powhiri and war dance from the young boys to the wonderful crafts using the natural resources. Our matua/tina make it look so easy and sharing the traditions with the students
The culture was evident and the Niue language was alive. I could feel the warmth and the alofa at the school
Words cannot express the amount of amazing things this school did for us led by the amazing Carol Edwards
They are using what they have to the best of their ability and the children are all happy and healthy
Staff are close to each other and work collaboratively to support each other and Carol
Friendly, caring and lots of laughter nothing is not too much for them

Photo: Matapa Chasm

To cool off after our visit to NPS we travelled to Matapa Chasm. A truly remarkable and spiritual place. Later in the evening we were fortunate to be invited to an audience with the High Commissioner of NZ to Niue – His Excellency Mark Gibb. Our group felt very honoured and special to have been invited to his home and the hospitality was very welcoming.

Photo: Reception with High Commissioner NZ

Here are some of the reflections the participants wrote about our Visit to Matapa and the High Commissioner:

So different to swimming at the beach and such an adventure.
A very special place to visit and share together
Breath taking and felt like a post card view
What a great place for our first swim.
A beautiful spot and a great memory, not too strenuous to get into the water and the water enabled a range of swim experience from low to high areas. Safe spot.
A lovely relaxed occasion and felt very special
What a privilege to be invited to the Home of the High commissioner
Goodness – this made us all feel very special and privileged to be part of the evening
Good chats with High Commissioner and his deputy and her husband about their role in Niue. Met a staff member’s niece (Mele). Great evening.
Enjoyed discussions with everyone I met including members of our group that we were all still getting to know each other

Day Three: Wednesday 8 August

Photo: Visit to Niue High School

Today we visited the Niue High School and were welcomed by the Principal and his senior staff. Listening to his story and the journey the school in on resinated with a lot of us in relation to the realities of running our schools. We were then given a guided tour of the classrooms and were able to engage with staff and students who were all very welcoming and engaged in what we were doing.

Here are some of the reflections the participants wrote about our Visit to Niue High School:

What gorgeous, articulate learners. I can’t wait to see where their careers take them.
It was awesome to see some of the students confident in themselves and engaged in learning.
All learners are happy to share their opinions and talk about their learning. Big connects with a student and her chosen book “The Kite Runner’. Recommend to all if you have not read it.
The English classes we visited was very good, very articulate with what task they were doing.
Students were able to articulate their learning and confident to ask questions.
Yummy food, great discussions with students who were also confident in asking questions
Small number in classrooms which helped with more precise teaching.

Photo: Swim at Limu

To cool off we then visited Limu Pools and it was a definite refuge from the hot day. Limu is one of my favourite places to swim in Niue and the number of colourful fish swimming all around you is something to behold.

Photo: Parent Workshop – Literacy, Numeracy and NCEA

In the late afternoon some of our group ran a session at the Primary School for Parents on “How to support your child at home with Literacy, Numeracy and NCEA”. The turn out was amazing and we had just under 50 in attendance. It was awesome to be able to also give back to parents and leave them with some resources to support them with their kids. Then our group enjoyed a very traditional and delicious buffet meal at the popular “Manuiz Restaurant” – another Nek Level experience.

Day Four: Thursday 9 August

Photo: Niue High School Leadership Day

Today a small group of our tour group ran a leadership day for year 11-13 students at Niue High School. Motivating and inspiring students at this age is sometime tricky and the school was always look for ways to better provide for and motivate their students. Our team found this experience really rewarding and in true teenager fashion the students started slow at first but once the relationships were built finished with a bang!

Photo: Trip to Togo

We then travelled out to Togo (some reluctantly LOL) for an amazing walk through the forest and then across some razer sharp rock structures to a hidden chasm. I will let the feedback from our group explain this further lol.

Here are some of the reflections the participants wrote about our Visit to Togo:

This was an experience I will not forget for a life time going on this walk pushed me beyond my fear of heights. I made it down to the bottom of the ladder which was a milestone for me. Proud of myself! I couldn’t have done it without a supportive and positive team
A must do! Absolutely loved this walk and climbing down the ladder!
Karl told us porkies!!!!! I’m glad I got as far as I did and the views were insane.
Tested me to the core walking over that path surrounded by sharp rocks. Did not go down the ladder but felt so good once I was back to the forest that I had done it!!! Special thanks to Caroline, Sue, Mac and Arona for your support. Narrowly missed a ‘coconut to the head’ as it whizzed past me and Sue!
I need to thank my guide and support Mac for having the patience to stay with Bernice and myself on the way there and allowing me the time I needed to get there with the little breather’s we had along the way there and back.
Bernice, you were truly an inspiration going down that ladder and I applaud your GRIT and determination sister!

Day Five: Friday 9 August

Photo: Teachers Conference – Niue

Today was our Conference where the Niue Department of Education closed all schools and centres and allowed their staff to attend. In putting the Conference together we asked Niue provided us a list of topics that they would like in the form of Keynotes and Workshops. Here is the programme from the day:

Welcome and Prayer
Ice breakers and whose who
Keynote: Allison Hamilton – Her leadership Journey
Morning Tea
Workshop 1
Workshop 2
Lunch
Keynote: Jerry Leaupepe – Digital Transformation
Thanks and Farewells

Our Team prepared workshops based on the list provided by Niue and here is a list of these:

Transitions – Sue and Kathy
Behaviour Management/ Inclusive Education – Bert
Appraisal and Professional Standards – Wendy and Caroline
Curriculum and Planning – Togi and Bernice
Leadership – Arona and Andrew
AI in Education – Jerry
Matala Mai/ Bilingual Education – Mac, Ilatose and Georgina

Photo: Teachers Conference – Niue

Here are some of the reflections the participants wrote about our Conference:

Allison I really loved hearing about your leadership journey and that leadership can start at different times in your life. A great role model to all

Jerry, always enjoy listening to how Digital Technology can be used in different spaces and challenging us as leaders

Grateful to have presented together with my awesome workshop partner about what does planning look like and curriculum planning. Although we did not get enough time to share all of our notes, we hope we can continue to stay connected

We had a really nice number of people each time which meant that everyone was able to contribute. We’ve made connections that will hopefully continue

Our workshop felt really worthwhile and topical. A good number of people attended and everyone was highly engaged. We received great feedback on the content, and treats and goodies that we shared at this 🙂

Went by SO fast! Loved our talanoa with interested staff and more connections made

I sat in two different sessions and both had challenges with time constraints and were being adapted to fit the time frame. Both had attendees fully engaged. Bernice/Togi – well planned, pace was good, clear message, interaction with participants was great, prizes were awesome – the Up the Wahs shirt – very cool. Andrew/Arona – well planned, clear “why”, good slides, too much laughing in second session (lol), clear message, you just ran out of time

It was a great opportunity to network with other teachers and was so blessed with our gifts from the schools

Great day and reciprocally beneficial

Hugely worthwhile for everyone involved. It was special to have the creche through to the high school involved.

Fabulous experience. Uplifting.

A great day to share and learn from each other both in sessions but also during break times. The food was phenomenal again. We were so spoilt. Carol and her team did a great job putting it all together

Photo: Debrief and Violama

To finish our day we enjoyed the gentle breeze and refreshments as we debriefed at Vaiolama.

Day Six: Saturday 10 August

Photo: Whale Watching

Today was our designated free day and members of our group took the time to further explore and enjoy Niue by doing some shopping, relaxing by the pool, visiting family, going our on a whale watch experience and even jumping off the wharf. In the afternoon as a group we went up to watch and enjoy Niue’s equivalent to “State of Origin” North vs South League Game and it so just happens that I refereed the match lol.

Photo: Our Debrief at Matavai

In the Evening our group gathered for further reflection and also to thank our leaders but also to show our aroha and fakalofa for one of our group for today which signified something very special and important for them. Truly amazing experience.

Day Seven: Sunday 11 August

Photo: Sunday church at Liku

Sundays like in all Pacific Countries is a day of prayer, feasting and rest. Today we were so blessed to be welcomed by the people of Liku at their 10am morning service. The Rev Hasini was very welcoming and accomodating for our group and we felt the spirit in the service. After church we then made our way back to Matavai to enjoy some of the amazing traditional Kai families and friends of our group had brought for us to enjoy … all I can say is hmmmmm

Photo: Our Sunday Lunch

Photo: Final dinner together at Matavai

For our final meal together in Niue we were joined by the education leaders – Minister of Education, Director of Education, Principals and Head Teachers at Matavai. It was sad to see that this was the last night we were spending in Niue but once again it did not disappoint.

Day Eight: Monday 12 August

Photo: Final Debrief at Crazy Uga

Today we packed up and prepared to head back to NZ. We did some final last minute shopping and visiting before we headed to the Airport for our final farewells. It was an amazing time for all our Tautai on this Study Tour.

Here are some of the reflections the participants wrote about our Trip:

It was sad to say goodbye, met so many kind, humble and generous people of Niue who have given me a great start to discovering my roots in Niue. Can’t wait to return with my family. Pleased I got to capture a video of a whale at Crazy Uga Cafe. Best place to share our reflections, learnings and memories for life with the best Study Tour group. Fakaue lahi
Saying goodbye was the hard part. The amount of Alofa shared and shown throughout the week was amazing.
It’s hard to say goodbye!
NO complaints. Left very reluctantly – still with an eye out for whales!!!
There are lots of learnings for both personally and professionally. The conversations at the bar, by the pool, in the caves, in the van about life, school and family were precious and put things into perspective. To keep things simple and that we can do more by doing less.
I honestly believe that my key learnings will keep surfacing from this day onwards. This is the start, not the end
I just know that this experience would not have been possible for me as a palagi tourist. What I now carry inside and the connections I have made make me a better person. The power of kanohi me kanohi was so reinforced. Keep it simple, and value it! Feel the love and share the laughter….

Fakaaue Lahi Mahaki to all in Niue who made our stay one that we all will not forget. We will be back!!

Photo: Fakaaue Lahi and Koe Kia from us to you … Oue Tulou

Tautai O Le Moana – Principal Study Tour to Niue

Recognise the value of ‘place-based’ learning experiences that strengthen our educational lens to grow our leadership capabilities to improve outcomes for Pacific learners.