Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa recently welcomed students, parents and staff from Longburn School and Te Kura o Wairau in Manawatū to celebrate the first graduating class of Children s University at Massey.
Leftover lunches are offered to pupils who want seconds and the rest are given to children to take home. “We can hold our heads high knowing it s gone home and there’s an opportunity for a family member to enjoy.” She said the lunches also gave children more concentration for learning in the afternoon. “It creates excitement and people are on a level playing field. No-one is coming with things for lunch like birthday cake from the night before. It’s quite uplifting.” The school supplies a weekly list to the providers with dietary requirements, including gluten free, vegetarian or allergies.
Principal Teena Johnson said the change was hugely significant for the school. “It means we have a place of belonging. We know where we come from and we know where we’re going.” She said it gave staff the knowledge to teach the correct local history. Four years ago the school started learning local Māori history, then started learning about the other ethnicities at the school. There are 19 different ethnicities at the school now. Peter Te Rangi, of the Rangitāne iwi, helped support the school during the programme and he gifted it the new name.
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