​Intermediate Schooling at Paparimu - Years 7 and 8

Paparimu is a Year 0-8 Full Primary School and, as such, offers a complete package for children between early childhood and High School/College education.
 
Many primary Schools only have classes to Year 6, but here at Paparimu we offer education to Year 8. This means your child does not need to go off to an Intermediate School for two years before making another shift/transition to High School/College.
 
At Paparimu we offer an opportunity for seamless education from Year 1 through to Year 8. We are able to build on the skills, interests and successes that the students have had in the previous years.
  • We support our senior students individually, challenge them and expect them to take an active part in their own education.
  • Our senior students are our leaders. They are encouraged to take on roles of responsibility within the school and community and to be positive role models in all that they do.
 


Our Year 7 and 8 programme is based on the New Zealand Curriculum.  This means that the basic framework for curriculum delivery is prescribed by the Ministry of Education (and audited by the Education Review Office) to ensure that our year 7 and 8 students have programmes similar to year 7 and 8 children in other full primary, area or intermediate schools.
We make a special effort to encourage the development of leadership skills by giving these students opportunities for taking responsibility, as well as privileges within the school. In the full primary situation we are able to integrate specialist subjects into classroom programmes using authentic contexts, rather than having blocks of time set aside for these independent of other classroom learning and activities. 
Our Year 7 & 8 students form a valuable part of our school ‘whanau’. They are all encouraged to take care of younger children in the school and to be aware of the needs, thoughts and feelings of others. We also encourage them to have input into planned programmes so that we can take advantage of their interests, talents and passions.
The programme delivered to students in years 7 & 8, is designed to cater to the needs and interests of these students at an important developmental stage in their lives. As young adolescents, we acknowledge the need to have an especially developed, engaging curriculum that fosters both high academic achievement and emotional intelligence in a creative, safe and open environment.
Advantages of a full Primary School
  • Opportunities for students to develop leadership attributes as school seniors.
  • Education in an environment where children feel safe and where children’s individuality is encouraged and valued.
  • Education in a school where they are already well known by staff. This aids the quick transfer of relevant information between teachers - skills and interests are already known and any specific needs for support can be planned for.
  • Interaction with other schools and opportunities to extend their peer group network.

In more specific terms, the year 7 and 8 programme at Paparimu School offers: ·     
  • An individualised learning programme, catering to your child’s strengths and needs.
  • Opportunities for individualised support and instruction – whether this be learning support for struggling students or extension.
  • Class numbers significantly lower than in most urban schools.  We ensure individualised instruction and better access to learning resources.
  •  Learning a second language of your child’s choice – Spanish, Chinese, French etc.
  • Careers education to prepare your child for the future
  • In-class, daily use of up-to-date learning technologies (e.g. laptops/iPads) as part of learning programmes and to prepare for College.
  • Specialist teaching in Technology at Maramarua School for a full day each fortnight where they will work together with other similar aged students from other schools to learn about food, soft material and hard material technology.
  • The opportunity to take on specific responsibilities as leaders within the school including House Captains, Student Council representatives, Librarians and Sports monitors.
  • Opportunities for extension including: lit quiz, debating, speeches, University of Otago problem solving, Mathex, ICAS international exams from the University of New South Wales etc (tailored to strengths and interests).
  • Passion Studies – special interest research in an area of your child’s passion most terms, guided by the teacher.
  • Further sporting opportunities for able students, including involvement in ECCS cluster activities.
  • Musical opportunities including learning the recorder, xylophone and ukelele.
·      Connection with other Students/Schools  - partnering with other schools to give your child a buddy of the same age that they can communicate with on a weekly basis (via Skype or email etc.)
·      Staff who are committed to working in close partnership with parents and whanau.
·      Authentic opportunities for environmental education.
The step to secondary schoolWe take seriously our responsibility to prepare our seniors for secondary school.  We will regularly liaise with local secondary schools to help ensure that our seniors are prepared academically and socially for this important transition.
 
We foster respect and provide a well-balanced education. We prepare them to engage fully at College. In our school, we consider our students individual needs and we provide learning programmes that will best suit these needs.
 
Our Year 7/8’s are the leaders of our future and we encourage them to be life long learners
and confident individuals.
 
We hope you will consider your child joining us for their intermediate schooling at Years 7/8.
Do feel free to contact me if you have any questions or queries.
Our sole purpose
for these two intermediate years
of schooling
is to equip your child
with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and dispositions
they will need to 
THRIVE at College in Year 9 and beyond.