Assembled in Whare nui Nga Tae groups in our crisp white t-shirts, the school gathered to watch a moving performance by the senior Kapa Haka group to start the proceedings. Nothing like linking our school Pride to the event.
Full of excitement, the groups made their way down to the neighbouring farm to start their run. And then they were off, helping each other across the paddocks with smiles on their faces - their t-shirts still crisp white in colour.
It didn’t take long until the t-shirts (and their cheeks) changed colour as they ran along the undulating course on the farm. Staff, parents and casual bystanders but mostly staff, aimed that colour at the shirts and happened to hit the hair along the way.
As students got closer to the finish line they had to run through the gully. Our surprise guest was waiting for them. Students were met with a familiar face - Shawn the Prawn from Huka Prawn Park - to cheer them on (and cover them with orange paint powder) in the last section of the run.
The smiles were still present as the students, and a couple of game parents, ran through the finish line chute. And straight for the Pak n Save sponsored sausage sizzle. Our crisp white t-shirts were no longer white, and the smiles and cheeky grins more colourful than they were on the startline.
A very big thank you to the following businesses for their sponsorship of a colour station:
- Office Products Max
- Huka Prawn Park
- Total Sport
And also to Pak N Save for the sponsorship of our Sausage Sizzle at the end of the run.
My journey in education has taken me down many different paths including teaching in an Area school, urban English and Welsh schools, small semi-rural schools and in a purpose built Innovative Learning Environment.
Teaching at Wairakei Primary School allows me to use so many of the skills I gained in these different settings - as well as acquiring so many more. I consider myself a life-long learner and continuously strive to build on my knowledge of teaching and education in order to create the best possible outcomes for students.
In my spare time I enjoy playing netball, reading, getting out and about with my two children and making the most of what this area has to offer.
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