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Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. What a privilege it is to be Tumuaki, Principal of Onerahi School.
Onerahi School is a friendly and caring place to learn and work, and sits in a prime position in Onerahi, a seaside suburb of Whangārei. We connect closely to Parihaka, our maunga and Hātea, our awa and we take great pride in being able to walk the lands of our ancestors.
The school is close to Matakohe Limestone Island, Dragonfly Springs Wetlands and the Marine Reserves of the Whangārei Harbour. We make the most of learning opportunities in our local community and contribute to the future of our environment.
Achieving Green Gold status as an environmental school in 2017 recognised our commitment to a sustainable future. We have fruit and vegetable gardens, beehives (our honey is delicious), we make Kawa Kawa balm, and we are continually looking for ways to make improvements. The Garden to Table programme is now in full swing and our tauira are engaging in learning new skills and utilising our produce in the kitchen.
We value people’s culture and identity and their connections to Aotearoa New Zealand. Understanding who we are, where we belong and our relationships with people and places are important aspects of our kaupapa.
Our vision, Onerahi School - A Place to Thrive, drives all that we do at Onerahi School and empowers students, their wh?nau and staff to grow as learners. We are grounded in whanaungatanga, manakitanga and manawa reka as we continue our pathways into the future.
We are on an exciting journey designing a rich local curriculum and building capacity in Te Reo Māori me ona tikanga. As we define Onerahitanga and acknowledge what we do well here at Onerahi School, we invite you along on this journey. This will shape our future together.
At Onerahi School one of the questions we are always asking ourselves is “why” and this has led to a culture of innovation and development. We are recognised in local, national and international circles as a progressive school and visits from teachers, administrators and leaders of education is common. All our visitors recognise and admire the culture they see and feel within the school.
We are proud to work and learn at Onerahi School. Haere mai. Come and see us anytime.
Annmaree MacGregor
19 Sep 2025 - 20 Sep 2025
Kia ora e te whānau,
Please find attached the results from our recent board elections. Thank you to everyone who voted and to the candidates for putting their names forward.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Danny Hamilton
Tumuaki Tuarua / Deputy Principal
Kia ora e te whānau,
We had a beautiful sending off for Room 23 and 24 on Monday. Matua Fred led our whakawātea, which was filled with tamariki, staff, and ex-pupils (a few that are now teachers at the very school they attended as kids) sharing stories of their experiences in the two classrooms. It was heart-warming to hear the different ways theses spaces have been important to people throughout time. The whole event was punctuated with waiata and we feel ready to let these two rooms rest.
Over the holidays these two classrooms will be removed, making way for a new outdoor space that will be set up to provide students with opportunities to sit, play games, relax, read, play music, and learn together. The classrooms do have asbestos (that is a sign of how old they are) so I have attached the notification from the removal company to this post. Thanks everyone.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Danny Hamilton
Tumuaki Tuarua / Deputy Principal
Kia ora e te whānau,
This is my first week back after three weeks of being unwell and what a joy it has been to see the kids again. This term has been particularly brutal for illness across our community and I just wanted to acknowledge both our staff and yourself for the support. From the school’s side, everyone has been super responsive in ensuring everything remains covered on those days when we have a sizable chunk of staff away sick. We also know the challenges a sick child at home can create and appreciate all our whānau for keeping any sick tamariki home. Here’s to warmer and healthier days ahead.
Dan from Subway, the provider of our delicious school lunches, is launching a new way for families to order bulk meals. They are ready to heat meals that are both budget-friendly and can feed many a hungry mouth. Some of our community took part in the test run and their feedback was definitely positive. I have attached a flier to this post if you are interested.
An update on the Board elections: Voting closes for Board elections on Wednesday the 10th of September at 4pm. You would have received your electronic voting forms via email. If we did not have access to your email address, a paper copy would have been sent to you. The paper voting forms can be returned to our front office.
It does feel like there is shift in the air, with warmer days becoming more regular and the intense illness that has been bouncing around our community starting to recede. Hopefully you and yours are well enough to get outside and enjoy the weekend. We will see you back here Rāhina as we begin the final two weeks of Term 3.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Danny Hamilton
Tumuaki Tuarua / Deputy Principal
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