Nau Mai, Haere Mai
Welcome to Poutama
Creative
Leadership
Excellence
Self
Manager
Poutama 2023
Poutama comprises of 76 Year 4 to 6 students at Riverdale School in Palmerston North. We have three teachers teaching in our team, and support staff work with our learners at different times over the day.
Our learners benefit from the flexibility we have in both the classroom programme and our beautiful classroom environment.
Our Vision
In Poutama we establish a sense of whānau and we provide many opportunities for ākonga to shine. We believe in encouraging agency through creative ways. We are responsive to the holistic needs of our learners. We achieve this through collaboration. This enables our ākonga to feel a sense of belonging in our team, one where all successes no matter how small, are celebrated.
Ngā Mātāpono
In Poutama, we strongly promote Riverdale School's beliefs - Ngā Mātāpono. Ngā Mātāpono is broken down into four key areas - Self Manager, Creative, Excellence and Leadership.
Our beliefs incorporate the Key Competencies and are used as the basis of our Independence Licence Level. When ākonga consistently demonstrate one of our beliefs, they earn a digital pin working towards being a Tohunga in that area. This has also proven to be an effective tool in the behaviour management of our collaboration.
Ākonga are also able to earn Zone Pins. Such Zones include Effective communicator, Interactive, Active Listener, Collaborative, Articulate, Decisive, Numerate and Literate, Critical Thinker, Knowledgeable, Digitally Capable, Environmentally Aware, Kaitiakitanga, Motivated, Determined, Structured, Resilient, Independent, Confident, Inclusive, Caring, Risk Taker, Problem Solver, Resourceful, and Flexible.
Our Space
Poutama is lucky to call Riverdale School's new purpose-build modernised learning environment, home. This space has numerous break out spaces and a creative maker-space. The flexibility of the space allows for ākonga to spread out and find a space to work in that suits their learning style. Our new space has allowed ākonga to further express their creativity in the maker-space area. Each part of our building has a different name inspired by the stars of Matariki. When we come together, we do so in the space aptly named Te Pae ō Matariki. At the start of the year, ākonga explore each space for purpose and collectively come up with a use for each space.
SDL
Each week the ākonga complete a series of independent tasks for when they are not working with a teacher. The SDL Sheet also serves as a timetable for ākonga as they record their workshop times on it. ākonga have three 'YouChoose' activities they can complete each week. These are activities where the students can work on a skill or area of knowledge that they have self identified as an area of need.
Completed tasks are checked and signed off by a teacher.
Through SDL, ākonga learn self-management, problem solving and time-management skills. ākonga have agency over what activities they complete and when.
Literacy
The teaching staff in Poutama are dedicated to improving the Literacy of the learners. Ākonga are able to opt into Reading and Writing sessions. Reading is taught four times a week and topics are integrated with our Inquiry learning as much as possible. Ākonga attend three Reading opt-ins per week.
Writing is taught Monday to Thursday and is also integrated across the curriculum. Writing includes the specific teaching of genre to our learners. We make Writing fun and exciting. For Writing, ākonga opts into a different session each day.
The specific learning goal that will be taught in both the Reading and Writing workshops are recorded on the Opt-in Sign-up sheet. In order to track children's progress on the set goal, teachers 'bags' the children whom we wish to target for that week. These names are written on the Opt-in Docs in blue. Our students are targeted by a teacher on average, once every two to three weeks. Teachers keep detailed tracking and anecdotal notes on the goals and achievements on each student. Those ākonga who require additional support with Reading and Writing are catered to with programmes such as Steps Web and Lexia which are run with the support of our Learning Assistants.
Numeracy
Ākonga spend four weeks with a teacher before moving on to the next focus with a different teacher. Ākonga are mixed ability grouped however, they attend workshops that are based on a common need for a group of students.
On the Maths Plan the children are able to see what group they are in for that day along with the goal they will be working on. We have links on the plan to our Maths Website where children can access the Pre Learning they need to do before they come to the workshop with the teacher. We encourage the children to do this during their SDL time in the morning.
The teaching of Maths Strand is largely integrated with our Inquiry and in Creative tasks the ākonga complete in Ururangi.
When not working directly with the teacher, ākonga complete their Maths Contract, tasks set by the teacher and activities on Study Ladder.
Te Ao Māori
The Māori culture is an important part of Poutama. We begin the day with He Whakawhetai and end the day with the Pou Mihi. We have identified Ariki and Aronui role holders. Mrs Whitta is our Tohunga in the area of Te Ao Māori. The teaching of tikanga is integrated throughout our programme. Pa Jack visits us on a regular basis to support and encourage our Te Reo Māori programme.
The Poutama teachers are confident and competent to deliver lessons. We make authentic links between our teaching of Te Reo Māori and the rest of our classroom programme. We offer three levels of difficulty in follow up activities. Mrs Whitta takes our extension Māori Explorers group.
The cultures of all of our children are valued and we endeavour to form strong partnerships with whānau.
Student Agency
Agency is a key component of our Poutama Programme. Our learners have a huge choice in their learning. We allow ākonga to choose from Reading and Writing opt-in. We have found that now that our learners know how to read, that we can focus on reading to learn. Ākonga suggest topics that they are interested in and the teachers find appropriate reading material on that topic. We have a doc that ākonga are able to put their suggestions on. We have found that the more agency our ākonga have, the more buy-in they exhibit, which results in fewer behaviour or motivation problems. We have seen a direct link between studen motivation and achievement.
Our new space has enabled ākonga the freedom to complete their own personal inquiries in Ururangi. Ākonga can choose to use a range of digital technologies during the inquiry process. Te Ako Ritenga is woven throughout our programme and is the driver in the ākonga's Personal Inquiry. During Inquiry, our ākonga help to establish the Success Criteria. They are able to choose who they wish to work with and we deliberately keep the Inquiry topic wide to allow students to follow their own interests.
We use organisers and think charts regularly to help focus the students attention to where we specifically want them to focus and to help organise and record their thoughts. We love the creative ways our students communicate their learning to their peers and their whānau.
Timetable
M
Mondays
9am - Swimming
10am - Maths
11.30am - Reading
12pm - Writing
2pm - Inquiry
T
Tuesdays
9am - Swimming
10am - Maths
11.30am - Reading
12pm - Writing
2pm - Choir
W
Wednesdays
9am - Swimming
10am - Maths
11.30am - Reading
12pm - Writing
2pm - Inquiry
Th
Thursdays
9am - Swimming
10am - Maths
11.30am - Reading
12pm - Writing
2pm - Te Puawai
F
Fridays
9am - Swimming
10am - Rich Maths
11.30am - Opt-ins
2pm - Assembly/Singing