Welcome to our school

Welcome to Maraekakaho School. A full primary school catering from year one (new entrants) to year eight students. Please feel free to explore this website and make a time to meet our principal to take a look around our school.

Maraekakaho Pepeha

Ko Kahuranaki te Maunga

Ko Takitimu te Waka

Ko Ngaruroro te Awa

Ngati Kahungunu te Iwi

Maraekakaho te Kura

 

Kahuranaki is our mountain

Takitimu is our canoe

Ngaruroro is our river

Ngati Kahungunu is our Iwi

Maraekakaho is our School

From the Principal

Nau mai haere mai, ki te taonga o Heretaunga
Welcome to the treasure of Hawke’s Bay

Thank you for visiting the Maraekakaho School website and taking the time to find out about our school. Maraekakaho School is a growing contributing state primary school. It is situated in a rural location, a picturesque 15 minute drive from Hastings or 20 minutes from Taradale. The school caters for Year 1-8 and is a decile 8. Our roll has steadily grown in recent years and usually finish the year with approximately 165 children. This is very exciting and positive for the school and the community. The school was established in 1894 and has a very proud history. While we will continue to respect and acknowledge the past, we are very much focussed on the future and providing our children with fantastic learning opportunities that challenge them to be equipped for the future. We are fortunate to have a strong supportive community who involve themselves in the learning process along with a passionate and dedicated teaching team and support staff.

The school is situated on the banks of the Ngaruroro River and has expansive grounds including a large swimming pool. This has a very positive impact on our school culture as there are considerable playground areas for our children. We have extensive building programme continuing in 2020 and will continue until our roll growth classrooms are completed in the coming years.


With the last major redevelopment taking place in 2010, we have a very modern school that is resourced well to support learning.

In summary… there is no doubt this school is on a positive journey… it’s all about making a difference for and to each other.

Literacy (reading and writing) and Numeracy (mathematics) have always been a priority at Maraekakaho School within a balanced and broad curriculum. We want our learners to find their passion, experience success and know who they are and where they belong. We strive to provide our learners with the very best opportunities and innovative programmes and resources to support their learning. What happens in schools now is probably quite different from what it was like when you were there. Why not come in and see us in action? If you want to find out more or stay informed and up to date with events and Maraekakaho School happenings, join us on Facebook or subscribing to our newsletter.
I look forward to meeting you and your family/whanau.

Sandy Crawford
Principal

Our Vision

Our Vision revolves around our personal growth for the betterment of our community.
We are dedicated to making a difference by embodying the values of Respect, Aroha, Bravery, and Responsibility, which builds our mana.
Our vision ties seamlessly into the Mātaiaho Curriculum, serving as the driver of our strategic direction. Mātairangi Kaupapa is at the heart of our vision, as we recognise and commit to the fundamental Mātaiaho principles of  Give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi,  Hold a broad view of ākonga success,  Hold high expectations for all ākonga.

Our Staff

Phil Jones - Principal

Sandy Crawford

Principal
Phil Jones - Principal

Jen Lissette

Deputy Principal & Raukawa Teacher (Year 1) - Explorers
Phil Jones - Principal

Samantha Sinton

Raukawa Teacher (Year 1) - Explorers
Phil Jones - Principal

Sam Golden

Mangatahi Teacher (Year 5 & 6) - Navigators
Phil Jones - Principal

Donnelle Gardner

Mangatahi Teacher (Year 3 & 4) - Pathfinders
Phil Jones - Principal

Jane Redward

Teacher Aide
Phil Jones - Principal

Max Fitzsimmons

Groundsman
Phil Jones - Principal

Jennifer Yorke

Teacher Aide
Phil Jones - Principal

Sue Macphee

Librarian
Phil Jones - Principal

Kylie Dipper

School Secretary
Phil Jones - Principal

Anna van de Steeg

Whakapirau Teacher (Year 7 & 8) - Navigators
Phil Jones - Principal

Amanda Scott

Ngatarawa Teacher (Year 2/3) - Pathfinders
Our CURRICULUM

Making a difference – in their lives, their school, their community and beyond.

At Maraekakaho School our goal is to develop successful learners, who take an active role in understanding how, what and why they are learning.

We have developed our school curriculum through consultation with our staff, community and students.

Through inquiry into best practice teaching we have developed and refined our beliefs about learners and how meaningful learning happens. Wherever possible our curriculum is integrated, providing students with in depth coverage of concepts and understandings, worthy of learning about.

Maraekakaho School is a ‘Mindful School’. Through teaching the MKK Vision Words we are developing people who can think and act intelligently.

Maraekakaho School is a ‘Thinking’ school.  We use thinking tools to help students structure and organise their thinking.  Strategies such as Think Time, Pair Share and Thinking Buddies help develop quality thinking  and learning throughout the school.  Teachers are mindful of learning styles and provide a variety of approaches to cater for individual needs.

Delivering quality Numeracy and Literacy programmes are at the core of what we do. Formative practice is key to all instruction at Maraekakaho School.  Quality feedback and feedforward from teachers, peers and self, helps students meet learning goals.

At MKK we meet the varied needs of our students through in class support and through targeted withdrawal programmes.

Critical reflection and self review have been instrumental in developing our curriculum.  Teacher inquiry into best practice pedagogy and quality professional development for all staff has ensured the programmes put in place lead to improved student outcomes and learning.  Ongoing reflection sees staff adapting programmes to best meet the needs of our students.

Physical Education and The Arts have always been an important part of our curriculum.  We place a strong emphasis on participation and striving for excellence



Our Facilities

Maraekekaho School is a well resourced, modern school and a picturesque rural setting. The main administration and classroom block was completed in 2010. In 2021 we have four new classroom spaces built to replace 4 older classroom. We also have a further two classrooms to be built for roll growth by 2023.

The school is fortunate to have a large swimming pool onsite with keys available for hire during the summer season. Together with an artificial grass tennis court, irrigated field, sandpit water play area and extensive playground the grounds cater for students physicals needs.

Our History

Maraekakaho school first opened its doors to people's on 5th April, 1893 on the site where the present swimming pool stands. 11 children were enrolled on the first day with Miss B Miller as teacher. By 1895 the roll had grown to 24 and this upward trend continued, but with the opening of Mangatahi School in 1909, this role dropped again to 25 pupils. In 1928 Miss Bollinger commenced duty as a teacher at Maraekakaho School and during her teaching period, application was made to have a new school building erected and by 1937 Maraekakaho School was a two teacher school with a Miss M Murry acting as assistant.

On First February, 1939 Mr AH Wright and Miss O’Neill opened the new building to 35 pupils and on 5th April the then Minister of Education Mr P Fraser officially opened the school. Since the 1950s, the roll has steadily grown and further buildings added to the main school block. In 2010 a major redevelopment of the school took place with the original block being rebuilt using the existing foundations. The existing balcony and steps can still be seen on this building today. In the 2010s the roll reached into the 170s. By 2019 the temporary buildings brought on site in the 2010 had outlived their useful life and property development began to replace these buildings. In its early years the school was an integral part of the Maraekakaho Station life, catering as it did for the station workers’ children. The school still is an integral part of the Maraekakaho community and is a strong identity within the community.

Content taken from Maraekakaho School Centenary 1893-1993 publication.