Whaanua Structure
All learners are placed in one of five Whaanau where they become part of an extended family of staff and learners during their years at Alfriston College. The Whaanau structure provides learners with a sense of belonging which enables them to develop a strong sense of identity. Each Whaanau is led by a Whaanau Leader. The Whaanau Leader and Learning Leaders work together to support every learner.
Whaanau Learning Programme
The programme builds and maintains closer positive relationships between learners and their Learning Leaders, their own whaanau and the school. It provides:
- academic tracking
- attendance evaluation
- personal goal setting and monitoring
- connection activities
- learning conversations
- guidance and support
- the opportunity to meet one on one regularly
Our Five Whaanau
Auaha means creativity. Our motto is Kia Kaha. Our Whānau colour is purple. We are led by Nikki Samu.
Kaitātaki means leadership. The motto is Work hard, Play hard. The Whānau colour is yellow. KTK is led by Debbie Tupaea-Adams.
Kaitoro means exploration. The motto is Best by Far. The Whānau colour is green. KTR is led by Robin van Niekerk.
Tirohanga means investigation. The motto is True to Blue. The Whānau colour is blue. TRH is led by Heeni Tamihere.
Whainga means pursuit. The motto is Bring it On. The Whānau colour is red. WHG is led by Ronise Scanlan.
Each Whaanau provides an effective environment for learning and growth, social interaction, leadership opportunities and mutual support while also maintaining a unique culture of its own.
The five Whaanau have a distinctive flavour through their colours, mottos, flags and traditions while sharing core values and beliefs that are common to all. These life long values (known as the 4 Cs) are delivered through the Whaanau Learning programme that focuses on fostering personal growth and the development of emotional intelligence.
Significant adults within each Whaanau also aim to develop the Key Competencies for each learner in collaboration with their families. This emphasises the desire to work together to enable learners to establish a Personalised Learning and Pathway Plan. Each plan has learning and co-curricular goals. Learners are supported and challenged when setting goals and identifying future career pathways. This home school partnership enables families to feel involved with their child’s goals, expectations and needs at Alfriston College.
The Whaanau competition is keenly contested. The winning Whaanau of the term has the honour of flying their flag at the front of the school and the privilege of selecting the bell music for that term. The trophy for the Whaanau of the Year is presented at Senior Success Awards in November. The competition involves four dimensions:
- Academic
- Community
- Cultural
- Sporting
Our Community
Each year, through Whaanau Student Leaders, Alfriston College actively helps out our local community through fundraising initiatives and various events.
Each term we have a community focussed event which all learners are encouraged to participate in. Some annual community events include the Sunrise Walk for Totara Hospice, Food Drive for our contributing primary schools’ Breakfast Clubs and the Manurewa Clean Up. These events are awarded Whaanau points, which feed into our Inter-Whaanau competition for the year. Apart from these events, there are many other community focussed initiatives that run during the year that learners can be involved in.
Check out our Facebook page for the latest news and pictures regarding our community events.
