Kia Ora! The Maori Student Leadership Team (MSLT) of 2013 has been a real success. As a well-oiled machine we worked under the guidance of our wonderful Careers Advisor Ms Brinsley to start new projects, as well as continuing existing programmes from 2012.
It is fantastic to think about the many new initiatives that we’ve put in place over the past two years! We have tried to boost Maori student achievement and involvement in extra-curricular activities while embracing our cultural ideals and tikanga. Our passion as a group has been forged around those values and goals that we want to see achieved.
While we have continued with our after-school Homework Club – special thanks to Mr Pirie and all participating teachers! We have started a new ‘buddy’ programme for juniors in conjunction with the Pacific Island Student Community Leaders. This is definitely not to sound patronizing to our wonderful juniors at all! No, rather it is where we pair senior Maori/ Pacific Island students with incoming Maori/ PI students to ensure that their transition into the Logan Park whanau is smooth and as easy as possible. This has worked well – and big ups to Runa (they all love her apparently) and Malakai for taking on so many juniors!
A highlight of the year was having a visitor from the Education Review Office conduct a special report into the work that we do as a team. Because we are unique in the fact that this team is student directed and these are our own ideas, the Ministry was keen to find out more. Ideally, they wanted to see teams like our one all around the country.
This just proves that our MSLT is working – and that is the best part. We have goals in place for next year to continue with our existing programmes as well as work more closely with the Maori Centre at the University to encourage Maori educational aspirations.
I hope – in fact I know that our team will go from strength to strength. With the support and involvement of all Maori students we will do our utmost to further enrich our cultural identity and enhance the education of Maori students at LPHS. This is our goal.
