Welcome to Panitahi Room! In 2026 we have 20 wonderful and curious Year 2/3 tamariki who love learning! Panitahi room is taught by Mr Ben Morgan and supported by our amazing release teacher Mrs Karla Rosewarne.

Cross Country 2026

Cross Country was a challenging but rewarding day for Panitahi! Our students showed incredible determination and perseverance as they tackled the course in tough conditions. Every student pushed themselves, gave it their best, and showed great KAHA throughout the event. We are incredibly proud of the effort, resilience, and commitment displayed by all our tamariki. Tino pai, Panitahi!

Wai O Rua Swimming Term 3 2026

This term, Panitahi Class has been incredibly lucky to visit Wai o Rua in Stratford each Thursday for swimming sessions. Through Toi Foundation Funding, our tamariki have enjoyed free transport, pool entry, and swimming lessons with fantastic instructors.

Throughout the term, our students have worked hard to build their water confidence, develop essential swimming skills, and challenge themselves in the pool. It has been wonderful to see the progress they have made and the growing confidence they are showing each week.

These sessions have been a great way to support the physical, social, and emotional wellbeing of our tamariki while encouraging teamwork, perseverance, and KAHA. A huge thank you to Wai o Rua and everyone who has helped make this opportunity possible!

Check out some of our swimming highlights below!

Structured Literacy:

In Panitahi, we follow a Structured Literacy approach to support the teaching of Reading, Writing, Handwriting, and Spelling. This approach provides our tamariki with a strong foundation in literacy by explicitly teaching the skills and knowledge they need to become confident and capable readers and writers.

Structured Literacy focuses on developing phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and the relationship between letters and sounds. Through regular, structured lessons, our tamariki learn how spoken language connects to written language, helping them develop the skills required to read, spell, and write independently.

Phonological awareness is an important part of our learning. It involves understanding and working with the sounds in spoken language. Our tamariki practise breaking words into individual sounds, identifying the number of sounds in a word, recognising where sounds occur, and blending sounds together to make words. They also explore syllables, rhyming words, identifying words in a sentence, and manipulating sounds by adding, removing, or substituting them.

As part of our structured literacy teaching, students develop their knowledge of individual letter sounds, onset and rime, and letter combinations that work together to represent a single sound. These skills are taught explicitly and revisited regularly to strengthen understanding and build confidence.

Our tamariki use Decodable texts to practise applying the sounds and spelling patterns they have learned in class. Each day, your child will bring home a book that aligns with our classroom learning, allowing them to practise reading familiar sounds and words in a supportive environment.

Reading at home is an important part of your child's literacy journey. We encourage whānau to spend time listening to their child read, helping them sound out unfamiliar words, and celebrating their progress. Re-reading books is also valuable as it helps build fluency, accuracy, and confidence.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement as we work together to develop strong literacy foundations for our tamariki. Every little bit of practice makes a difference!

WHAT IS DISCOVERY LEARNING?

Discovery Learning develops key competencies through activity-based, child-directed learning. It is an opportunity for tamariki to direct their own learning and practice social skills within fun, hands-on activities.  In our Junior Syndicate Discovery Time sessions we have a range of activities for our students to choose between with more activities being added each week.  Our tamariki are given opportunities to engage in a variety of activities which include; arts and crafts, dress ups, play dough, block building, Lego  puzzles and much more! At times they will be working independently to develop their self-management skills and at other times they will be working with a buddy or small group to build their social and cooperative skills. During these sessions our tamariki will have the opportunity to feed forward and feedback, decide on activities and lead the discovery time sessions. 

Muu Ki A Koe – Moo To You 

Throughout Term 3, Panitahi Class has been learning about farming, dairy production, and where our food comes from. Through the House of Science “Moo To You” kit, our tamariki have enjoyed a variety of hands-on experiments that have encouraged them to explore, investigate, and think like young scientists.

From experimenting with milk and creating colourful reactions to making ice cream and instant pudding, the students have loved getting involved in practical learning experiences. These activities have helped us discover more about dairy products and the important role farming plays in our communities.

As part of our learning, Mr Morgan also delivered a farm safety talk for Panitahi and Pouakai Classes. The students learned about staying safe around farms, understanding potential hazards, and making responsible choices when working or visiting a dairy farm.

It has been fantastic to see the curiosity, enthusiasm, and KAHA our tamariki have shown throughout our Moo To You learning!

The role of the teacher:

• drawing on curriculum knowledge to recognise the learning within play

• providing sufficient opportunities for students to engage in play

• participating in meaningful learning conversations with children that stretch their thinking  

• understanding and supporting the development of specific skills and knowledge that students need

• facilitating social interactions.

Life Education with Harold the Giraffe 

This term, Panitahi Class had the exciting opportunity to take part in Life Education with Harold the Giraffe! Our tamariki loved getting involved in engaging activities and discussions focused on healthy food choices, nutrition, and food education.

Throughout our sessions, we explored different types of food, learned about the importance of making healthy choices, and developed a better understanding of how the food we eat supports our growing bodies and overall wellbeing. The tamariki enjoyed sharing their ideas, asking questions, and discovering new information in a fun and interactive environment.

Harold helped bring our learning to life, making each session enjoyable and memorable for our students. It was fantastic to see our tamariki engaging in conversations about food, health, and the importance of looking after ourselves.

A huge thank you to the Life Education team and Harold for supporting our learning and helping us grow our knowledge about healthy living!

Te Reo: 

At Midhirst School and in Panitahi Class, we have a strong passion for Te Reo Māori and the important role it plays in our learning and everyday lives. We enjoy developing our language skills while also exploring Māori history, pūrākau (legends), tikanga, culture, and kaupapa (principles and values). These learning experiences help our tamariki build a deeper understanding and appreciation of te ao Māori and the rich cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.

As a school, we have a goal of working towards using up to three hours of Te Reo Māori throughout the school day. Each morning, we begin with approximately 30 minutes of as much full immersion as possible. This provides our tamariki with an opportunity to hear and use Te Reo Māori in a supportive and engaging environment, helping them develop their confidence, vocabulary, and understanding of the language.

We love incorporating a range of engaging teaching strategies, including visual prompts, waiata, kemu (games), kōrero, and hands-on activities. These approaches allow our tamariki to learn in different ways, practise new kupu (words), and develop their ability to communicate with one another. We encourage our students to have a go, make mistakes, and celebrate their progress as they continue their language journey.

An important part of our journey is normalising and revitalising Te Reo Māori within our school community. While we have dedicated, explicit teaching times where we focus on language development, we also aim to integrate Te Reo Māori across all curriculum areas and everyday classroom experiences. Whether we are learning maths, reading, singing, playing, or transitioning between activities, we look for opportunities to use and hear Te Reo Māori both inside and outside our kōpae ako (learning space).

We believe that language is an important part of identity, belonging, and connection. By creating opportunities for our tamariki to engage with Te Reo Māori regularly, we are supporting them to grow in confidence, develop respect for tikanga Māori, and recognise the value of keeping the language alive for future generations.

We hope that when you enter our classroom, you will hear the wonderful sound of our tamariki engaging in kōrero, using new kupu, sharing waiata, and embracing Te Reo Māori with enthusiasm. We are proud of the progress Panitahi is making and look forward to continuing this journey together with our tamariki, whānau, and wider school community. Kia kaha, Panitahi!

                               Kapa Haka:

This Year, we are incredibly fortunate to have Whaea Rae leading our Kapa Haka sessions across both the Junior and Senior school. Her passion and expertise have brought a vibrant energy to our weekly practices, and the students have truly embraced the opportunity to connect with Te Ao Māori through song and movement.

Whaea Rae’s approach is centered on making Kapa Haka accessible to everyone; she has a unique way of making our waiata engaging and fun, ensuring that every student feels confident to participate and give it their best. It is wonderful to hear the school hall filled with such powerful voices and to see the pride the tamariki take in their performances.

In addition to our whole-school sessions, Whaea Rae also works with a specialized performance group. This select bunch of students meets for more in-depth sessions, focusing on advanced techniques, intricate actions, and the deeper meanings behind our mahi. This group will represent our school in upcoming performances, showcasing the hard work and dedication they have shown throughout the term.

                               Swimming Term 1: 

During last term, Panitahi was swimming every day. Our swimming sessions were held in the afternoons, and every Monday we had a specialised session with our instructor at the school pool.

This year, all of our instructional lessons have been based right here at our own school facility. The aim of these sessions is to improve the students' confidence in the water and teach them essential basic swimming skills. Beyond the physical technique, swimming is a fantastic way to enhance the social, emotional, and physical wellbeing of your child.

Central Taranaki Rural Schools’ Athletics 

In April, the Midhirst Junior Syndicate headed away for a day of sun, sweat, and sportsmanship at the Central Taranaki Rural Schools' Athletics day, hosted by Ngaere School. It was a brilliant opportunity for our younger students to step outside the school gates and represent Midhirst with pride.

Throughout the day, the tamariki rotated through a wide variety of athletic activities designed to test their speed, strength, and coordination. From the high-energy sprints on the track to the technical challenges of the long jump and throwing events, it was wonderful to see our students giving every station their absolute best effort.

Events like these are about so much more than just winning a race; they are a fantastic way for our students to build resilience, practice turn-taking, and develop positive social connections with peers from our neighuoring rural schools. The atmosphere was one of pure encouragement, with students cheering each other on at every finish line.

A huge thank you to the organizers at Ngaere School for putting together such a seamless and high-energy event. We would also like to extend a heartfelt thanks to our Midhirst whānau. Seeing so many of you on the sidelines, supporting our kura and celebrating the efforts of all the children, really boosted the spirits of our tamariki.

It was an amazing day of physical challenge and community spirit well done to everyone involved!

Junior Syndicate Assemblies 

Our Junior Syndicate assemblies are energetic, purposeful events that help foster a strong sense of community and personal development. Students come together to sing, promoting connection and building self-assurance.

These sessions also feature social learning opportunities, where students explore important life skills such as empathy, effective communication, and collaboration. A much-anticipated moment in each assembly is the awarding of KAHA wristbands and certificates—celebrating those who consistently demonstrate kindness, helpfulness, and a positive attitude.

These gatherings are a vital part of our school culture, nurturing an environment where every student feels valued, supported, and inspired to be their best selves.

Emotional Regulation

In Term 2 we have been learning about our emotions. We are learning to identify and name our feelings. 

We know we have been successful when we can:

• Name different feelings like happy, sad, angry, brave, and shy.

• Talk about how my body feels when I have different emotions.

• Use words to tell others how I am feeling.

• Know it is okay to have lots of different feelings during the day. 

                           Tabloids Day Term one: 

Tabloids is a great whānau event that the whole school participates in! Our fantastic school leaders learn the activities and help our younger tamariki to rotate around and get them involved! It is a great way to build tuakana-teina relationships and to bring the Midhirst School community/whānau together! Who could forget our first house competition of tug of war too?!