Students found out that Lake Taupō was formed after a huge volcanic eruption created a caldera - a hole in the land from magma. Water filled up the hole and the lake was formed. This exciting new learning led students to creating an art piece of Lake Taupō.
During 6 lessons of exploring different media in Art such as using pastels, markers & water, paint, and glitter, master pieces were created. Students were exposed to different techniques to create texture and colour in their landscape art.
I used pastels and coloured my mountains. I put white at the top for the snow on Mt Ruapehu
Blending is when you put a light and dark colour together
I have 3 mountains to show Mount Ruapehu, Mount Tongariro and Mount Tauhara
I used blue and a little bit of green to show the different colours of Lake Taupo
Spraying the markers with water was fun because I’ve never done that before
After spraying the markers with water and putting my paper on the top, it really looked like the lake
The colours we used were cold colours. Cold colours are blue, green, and purple
I made the sky with blue paint and long brush strokes
It was hard to paint with the forks, it’s much easier with a paint brush
It’s different painting with a fork, I like it because it's tricky
When I did the sponging I liked making the clouds. I haven’t used a sponge for painting before
I dipped my sponge in white paint and dabbed it on my paper. I noticed it turned out like clouds
I found it easy to use the sponge because I could make different shapes because clouds are all different shapes.
After learning different art techniques, their challenge was to put all their media pieces together to create Lake Taupō and the features surrounding it. Everyone got the opportunity to deepen their creative process by being encouraged to spend more time piecing it together and approach it from different perspectives, and finally have a multi-layered mixed media creation that they were proud of.
With 5 ½ years of teaching experience and a lifelong connection to Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, my passion for education has been shaped by growing up in a rural community, surrounded by nature and animals. Wairakei Primary feels like home, reflecting the sense of belonging and community that made school such a special part of my childhood.
Now settling into life in Taupō with my husband, time is often spent exploring the region—enjoying hīkoi’s by the lake, swimming, fly-fishing, and camping. Dance has always been a huge part of my life, and rediscovering this passion as an adult has been an exciting journey.
My strengths as a Kaiako are in teaching The Arts, Hauora (Health), and Te Reo Māori. Creating Mana Ūkaipo—a sense of place and belonging—is at the heart of teaching, ensuring that every student takes pride in who they are and where they come from, allowing them to flourish.
Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa. Let us keep close together, not wide apart. This whakataukī highlights the importance of connection, relationships, and shared journeys. Strong school-whānau partnerships are key to student success and engagement, and being part of the Wairakei community brings excitement for the relationships, learning, and growth ahead.
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