New premises and initiatives for Kura

TE KURA O Nga Ruahine Rangi has spent the past 12 years operating privately out of premises at Awatuna, but after much hard work by principal, John Hooker, the Kura is now a fully funded state school.
They have been given special character school status from the Ministry of Education and their roll has increased from just over 30 to 71 students, prompting a move to the old Mangatoki School grounds on the corner of Hastings and Eltham Roads.
"It was tough operating as a private school, but with more funding we are able to offer our students more," said John.
The move was a big one, and all the equipment from their previous premises had to be moved to Mangatoki.
"There was significant damage to the building before we moved here. Several windows were broken and plumbing was damaged as it has been unoccupied for the past four years. The cosmetic work to the building had to be done before the students could effectively learn here. We are currently waiting on some resources, but are fully operational," said John.
The Kura caters for students from Year 0-10 and has a vastly experienced teaching staff.
The majority of the staff had previous experience at other Kura and Kohanga Reo's around the Taranaki district. John's wife, June, is the Kura's deputy principal. The Kura draws students from all over Taranaki, including Kaponga, Eltham, Hawera and Stratford.
The school's special character and lessons taught in Te Reo is a major factor of parents choosing to send their children to the Kura.
The students are active in kapa haka and it is hoped that they will be able to send three teams to the national championships in Taumaranui next month. Time is dedicated to practice most days and staff and associates take special care to ensure the teams look and perform their best.
Last Saturday, the Kura hosted a gala day to raise funds for the kapa haka teams and a new playground.
The old playground at the Mangatoki grounds was removed when the school closed and currently there is no large play equipment for the students.
"We hope to have a playground in the very near future so the tamariki have something substantial to entertain them during breaks," said John.
As well as the special character the Kura offers, they hope to become more involved in local sport.
"We want to foster a team-attitude and hope to get the students involved in local competition. We have great male role models here that are keen on rugby and league and our administrator, Patsy Broughton, is an avid sportswoman," said John. Te Kura O Nga Ruahine Rangi whanau has been well established for the past 12 years, and with new developments, a growing roll and new resources, John is sure their operation will become an integral part of the central Taranaki identity. "We have great new facilities, wonderful staff and good atmosphere. We want to offer the best we can to our students and prepare them to make an impact in the wider community."