Bi-Lingual

Te Whānau Kōtuku was established in 2018 offering a bilingual education pathway at Paraparaumu School. Through consultation with the local community, colleges and kaumatua, there was an identified gap on the Kāpiti Coast and therefore an opportunity to establish a bilingual class.

Te Whānau Kōtuku currently consists of two classrooms catering for Y0-3, taught by Whaea Hayley Tanga and Y4-7, taught by Whaea Gina Sarich and has a roll of 53 tamariki in total. There is currently a waiting list for 2022 enrolments. Both English and te reo Māori are explicity taught with 30-50% of total immersion in te reo Māori and a Maōri worldview is integrated in other subject areas. Whānau support and participation is an integral part of Te Whānau Kōtuku with an expectation that whānau will attend one whānau hui held per term and contribute where they can support the development of their tamaiti.

If you would like further information about our bilingual pathway, please contact Gina Sarich through the school office or via email gina.sasrich@paraparaumu.school.nz.

‘Ko tōku reo tōku ohooho

Ko tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea

Ko tōku reo. Tōku kai marihi’

‘My language is my awakening

My language is my treasure

My language is my prize possession’

Kapa Haka

We are very proud of our school Kapa Haka group. They are dedicated and enthusiastic. They are often asked by community groups to perform. Members of our staff run this weekly group and one teacher leads a Te Reo/Tikanga Maori weekly extension class for year 5-8 students.