Waimarino primary schools start to the year

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 626, 5 March 1996, Page 4

Waimarino primary schools start to the year

Bonnie Bramley is among those new to the staff at Ohakune Primary School this year. She has been lecturing classes in maths, English, computer studies and life-skills at the Auckland Technical Institute for the past two years. Her role at the ATI was to give adult students the necessary skills so they could start on a career path. One example was the Te Ara Poutama (stair way to heaven) class of Maori students who were accepted into the police force after completing Mrs Bramley' s classes. Mrs Bramley will

be teaching years four to six and she says she has found the staff at Ohakune Primary School extremely welcoming and accommodating. Kandy Barrett, who has lived in the Waimarino all her life, is a teacher's aid. She came from Ngamatea school, which is on Fields Track, where she has been a teacher's aid for the past five years. Mrs Barrett will be helping the teachers out, taking small classes in the library and is in charge of the homework club. Mrs Barrett has two children who will also be attending

Ohakune Primary School. Jenny Bell has spent the past two terms teaching in the Chatham Islands and has come to Ohakune to teach in the senior bilingual unit. Miss Bell said she is "learning more Maori every day". She commented that there are some very fluent (in Maori and English) pupils at the school who have been through the Kohanga Reo system. Miss Bell taught at Rangataua school in 1991/ 92 and said she is glad to be back in the district, having originally come here for the climate. Joss Richardson spent last year relieving at schools around the Ruapehu district and after relieving at Ohakune in the third term last year she Couldn't resist coming back when asked to fill a vacancy. Prior to that Mrs Richardson taught at National Park School for five years. Mrs Richardson said she will be "flat out" most week-

ends serving Devonshire teas and barbecue dinners to customers from her and her husband's 4WD bike, trailer bike and mountain bike hire business. Wayne Marsh is the new

deputy principal and he came from Ruapehu College where he has been working for the past nine and a half years. Mr Marsh has 22 years' teaching experience behind

him and says it has been a challenge to 're-relate' to his 1 1- and 12-year old pupils after teaching 16- and 17-year olds. Mr Marsh is very keen on sport and with a group of

parents he will be coaching rugby, cricket, golf and squash. Mr Marsh says he is enjoying the challenge of getting back into the classroom TURN TO PAGE 5

School start

FROM PAGE 1 and coming to grips with the new curriculum. Raetihi School Raetihi school has had a very good start to the year after an initial hiccup when two teachers were suddenly unavailable, said principal Grant Fountain. Luckily Ahson Seifert and Jenni Wiggins, who have both taught at Raetihi School in the past, were able to relieve until the positions can be filled permanently. Mr Fountain said they were also hoping to increase the number of staff in the bilingual unit. Barry Drinkwater is the new caretaker for the school and he is doing an excellent job, said Mr Fountain. One staff member has been released to work with pupils in the middle school who require extra help with their literacy. "These children don't qualify for special education, but they qualify at Raetihi School as needing special assistance," said Mr Fountain. He said there was a steady role of 290, and that last year was the first time the role had been lower than the Ruapehu College's role "because we contributed 37 of our pupils to the College and didn't receive many at the other end". Orautoha School Orautoha School has a new relief teacher, Janet Ness, who travels from Waiouru. Principal Ms Andrea Nola said the term got off to a fullon start, with a five-day camping trip to Mt Maunganui for all 1 7 pupils plus 1 5 parents. Ms Nola said the weather was fantastic and the children enjoyed a week of windsurfing, snorkelling, fishing off the wharf, kayaking and ten pin bowling. The group stayed in cabins and tents at the Papamoa camping ground, and after a week of such bliss Ms Nola said it was hard to get back into school work. Pipiriki School The principal of Pipiriki School, Tony Meade, said there are no new teachers at Pipiriki school this year — "just the same old grumpy one" he joked. Unfortunately the school has lost its Maori language assistant Natalie Te Huia due to funding restrictions. Mr Meade said the school is being thrown on its own resources for the Kaiarahi Reo programme, which means that Mr Meade, who is partially fluent in Maori, will be taking the programme. Over the summer break the school pool was painted, and Pipiriki School began the year with a role of 14 pupils.