Middle College

Ma te huruhuru ka rere te manu
Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly

An important aspect of Middle College years is helping the students develop more of a sense of who they are. We firmly believe in developing the God given attributes and giftings in our students and, along with whanau, develop a generation of young people who are empowered, equipped and educated to make a positive difference.

Our goals across the Middle College are to provide opportunities for students to :

• further develop their identity in Christ
• grow spiritually, academically and socially to enable them to be contributing members of society
• become collaborative and connected learners who develop a pathway for further lifelong learning
• participate fully in the various aspects of school life and show initiative, creativity and leadership skills in various ways

Meagan Kelly, Middle College Leader

Although the physical structure of our Middle College has students working in classes according to year groups we have an overall sense of the College being as one big team. Our teachers lead across different subjects and levels and get to know our students well.

An aspect of our school culture which supports this is our Whanau Group system. All staff and teachers are part of a whanau which are named after the four local maunga (mountains); Parihaka, Hurupaki, Hikurangi and Parakiore. Across the school there are competitions, sporting, academic and cultural activities which encourage healthy competition and a sense of connectedness for everyone within the school.

We participate in local, regional and national school sports events, where both individual and team pursuits are supported. These events take place across the year and utilize our gym and surrounding fields as well as local community facilities.

As a College we enjoy educational experiences outside the classroom and have a biannual camp as well as other trips and activities which support teaching and learning.
We encourage participation in writing competitions, interschool chess champs, Mathex, speech and drama competitions and opportunities for children to express themselves through The Arts which gives students the chance to see themselves contributing at a local level into our community and potentially beyond.

Student agency is fostered and developed throughout the College in various ways including having class representatives on the school council, Passion Project inquiry learning where students interact with others across the school and experience authentic and meaningful learning. We encourage an outward focus, with opportunities to serve, and also have fun, through connecting with a local rest home and spending time with residents, joining Kapa haka and Worship teams and supporting various charities or social action programmes by participating in fundraisers often organised and run by the students.

With a strong focus on literacy, numeracy and digital competency across the curriculum, and quality teaching in the Arts, Sciences, Humanities and Technology, students are taught from a Biblical Christian worldview, which supports the aims and values of the New Zealand Curriculum. Students learn academic skills and knowledge through a curriculum based on solid Christian principles and are encouraged to live according to these principles.

Learning is most often a collaborative process of discussion, inquiry, reflection and action where students are encouraged to be critical thinkers and active problem solvers, walking the talk.

Middle College teachers work collaboratively and in consultation with students, to design, develop and review a local curriculum which is inclusive and flexible and supports the needs of this age group. We actively respond to priority learners through differentiating the curriculum and involving families in the process. We use various types of assessments to gather a clear picture of student progress which we communicate to families through formal reporting and use to inform learning pathways.

Students are issued with a chrome book which they use throughout their time in Middle College. Learning on a digital platform is well supported and students take responsibility for this device over years 7 – 9.

A relationship we value as a Middle College is our partnership with whanau and extended families. We know developing this relationship creates a stronger sense of belonging for students and a foundation of trust from which we all benefit so we look for opportunities across the year to develop these relationships . Picnics, camps, school trips and visits, celebrations of learning, assemblies, learning conferences and fundraising opportunities are a few of the ways we look to do this.

We welcome and need communication between home and school and this is usually done through the digital platforms of email and google classroom. However a key feature of Middle College communication is through the students creation of an online portfolio of learning. This portfolio enables a real time look at goal setting, activities and learning that students are currently participating in, photos, challenges, reporting on experiences and reviewing learning to set new goals, which accumulates as the student moves through years 7 – 9. Whanau are able to comment on student posts and teachers can assess and give feedback to student learning on the go. It is a great way to see achievement over time and is private to the school and individual family.