A group of teachers and a teacher aide travelled to Te Puke to present for 10 minutes on the transformation of “POWER to Tokawera”. We spoke about our links to our community and how POWER started. That special link we have to the Wairakei Power Station and our geothermal environment that we live in.
We - meaning our school - were asked to present our journey in poster format for others to see and talk about at the national conference held in Wellington. Delegates from all over New Zealand were attending the “Whakahihiri. Tohatoha. Tutuki. Inspire. Share. Achieve.” PB4L Conference
Our first presentation had generated a lot of interest and discussion from other schools. What they were looking at is the visual link of the symbols to our messaging. Are they authentic to our environment and are they understandable for students? What would a big audience make of what we do at our place?
So our journey from 2012 was created into four posters. Chronologically the journey tracks backward, with our recent work front and center. There are little gems of information hidden in these posters.
-
The original logo of the steam fields that most people at a glance think are trees.
-
The hidden swirls being each word of POWER.
-
The change of language from nouns to verbs and the length of time this took to accomplish.
-
Changes in our mission statement and the adding of a tagline “Rising to Success”.
There are things that are not there, like POWER’s fifth birthday and the cake we all had. A huge cake to feed about 300 hundred parents, teachers and students who came to a ‘meet the teacher night’.
The posters then travelled to Wellington to be placed in the foyer at the conference venue along with some of our bands and badges. For three days the posters were the centre of attention. I have already had some feedback from other schools and presenters about the visuals and their link to who we are as a school.
We are going to tell our story at the 2023 national conference. Our heads will be high and our messages clear. You have to work as a team to make this happen.
All this work takes time. It takes a dedicated board, staff and community to make it happen and to become an inherent part of the school fabric. I am very proud of the work we have done together. I am a “Proud Principal”.
My River's Journey
Like the rivers that have carved their paths through the landscapes of my life, my educational journey has flowed with purpose and determination, gathering strength and wisdom along the way.
My story begins in Mosgiel, where the gentle Taieri River cradled my earliest moments, nurturing my first tentative steps into the world. Like a tributary joining a larger flow, my family's journey carried us northward to Hamilton, where the mighty Waikato River embraced us in its steady current—this became the first place my heart truly recognised as home.
As the daughter of a New Zealand Railways family, our lives mirrored the rivers themselves—always in motion, always seeking new paths. The sacred Whanganui welcomed us next, its ancient waters whispering stories of generations past as I began to form my own identity. My family journey continued upstream to Taumarunui, where the Whanganui and Ongarue Rivers converge in perfect harmony—much like how my early experiences were merging to shape my understanding of education, community, and the interconnectedness of all things.
We briefly anchored in Napier, where though no dominant river commanded the landscape, the network of smaller waterways reminded me that even subtle influences can nurture growth and transformation. These coastal streams, less visible although no less vital, taught me that leadership sometimes flows quietly beneath the surface, supporting life in ways unseen but deeply felt.
The current then guided me to Palmerston North, where I trained to become a teacher. It was here, along the banks of the Manawatu, that I met Andrew, who would become my husband and fellow traveler on life's journey.
In Rotorua, the river of my life expanded into a lake, mirroring the growth of my family as children joined our voyage. The unique thermal waters of the region seemed to infuse me with a special energy and perspective that would influence my approach to nurturing young minds.
The return home to the mighty Waikato River called next, drawing me to Cambridge where I first emerged as a Team Leader. Just as the river carves its determined path through the land, I began to shape my leadership style, guiding others with the same natural confidence.
My journey continued over the ranges to Tauranga, where like a river meeting the ocean, my leadership horizons expanded dramatically. It was here I truly discovered my calling as an educational leader, flowing naturally into the role of Deputy Principal, navigating both challenges and opportunities with equal grace.
Now, my journey has brought me to the southern reaches of the magnificent Waikato River, beside Lake Taupō—the largest lake in Oceania. As Principal of Wairakei Primary School, I draw energy from the geothermal currents that define this special place.
Rivers couldn't be more fitting—just as this remarkable landscape harnesses natural power from deep within, I channel my wealth of experience and passion to fuel success in a school community.
You know, I've always felt connected to the waters that have shaped our beautiful country. Each place has taught me something different about leadership, about community, about what it means to guide young people toward their potential. And here at Wairakei, I feel like all those streams of experience have come together in the most wonderful way.
Comments
No one has commented on this post yet.