Okaihau College
Encyclopedia
In 1973 the Okaihau
district high school in the Far North District
of New Zealand
was granted Form 1-7 (Year 7-13) status and became Okaihau College
with Mr. Laurenson as first principal. At the same time a full primary school was completed around the Infant Block with Mr. N. Thomson becoming the first headmaster. At the end of 1973 there were 263 pupils attending the college and 219 at the primary school.
Since then, the school has grown to the larger roll of 427 pupils. The decile rating
is 2. Students are predominantly of Māori (67%), and European (28%) descent.
The name "Okaihau" is a Māori name which means "Feast of the winds", which is relevant to the location of the area on a ridge over 200 m above sea level. This part of New Zealand
was originally a dense tree landscape, and even today large old trees such as the puriri
are found in the area of the school. The puriri leaves and berries make up the college logo, and the schools motto is "Harmony, Truth and Effort".
Staffing includes approximately 35 teachers and 25 support staff. The curriculum includes all the traditional subject areas up to NCEA Level 3
with an emphasis on performing arts and education out of the classroom. Over 90% of students travel to school by bus, coming from an area bounded by Mangamuka Bridge, Motukiore, Ohaeawai
and Waimate North
.
Okaihau College currently has four houses which are named after four native trees of New Zealand. These houses are:
Each house competes for the inter-house championship each year. Each house is led by two senior captains who actively lead their house in events, including the annual swimming sports and athletics.
Okaihau
Okaihau is a small town in the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island, just north of Kaikohe. State Highway 1 passes through the town. The 2006 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings recorded Okaihau's population as 717, an increase of 30 people since the 2001 census.- Transport...
district high school in the Far North District
Far North District
The Far North District of New Zealand, as its name suggests, is the northernmost district within New Zealand, consisting of the northern tip of the North Island. The current mayor is Wayne Brown.-Geography:...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
was granted Form 1-7 (Year 7-13) status and became Okaihau College
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
with Mr. Laurenson as first principal. At the same time a full primary school was completed around the Infant Block with Mr. N. Thomson becoming the first headmaster. At the end of 1973 there were 263 pupils attending the college and 219 at the primary school.
Since then, the school has grown to the larger roll of 427 pupils. The decile rating
Socio-Economic Decile
Decile, Socio-Economic Decile or Socio-Economic Decile Band is a widely used measure in education in New Zealand used to target funding and support to more needy schools....
is 2. Students are predominantly of Māori (67%), and European (28%) descent.
The name "Okaihau" is a Māori name which means "Feast of the winds", which is relevant to the location of the area on a ridge over 200 m above sea level. This part of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
was originally a dense tree landscape, and even today large old trees such as the puriri
Puriri
Puriri is an evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand. -History:...
are found in the area of the school. The puriri leaves and berries make up the college logo, and the schools motto is "Harmony, Truth and Effort".
Staffing includes approximately 35 teachers and 25 support staff. The curriculum includes all the traditional subject areas up to NCEA Level 3
National Certificate of Educational Achievement
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement is, since 2004, the official secondary school qualification in New Zealand.It has three levels, corresponding to the levels within the National Qualifications Framework, and these are generally studied in each of the three final years of...
with an emphasis on performing arts and education out of the classroom. Over 90% of students travel to school by bus, coming from an area bounded by Mangamuka Bridge, Motukiore, Ohaeawai
Ohaeawai
Ohaeawai is a small village at the junction of State Highway 1 and State Highway 12 in the Far North District of New Zealand, some 250 km from Auckland. Nearby is the site of the bloody Battle of Ohaeawai fought at Pene Taui's pā during the Flagstaff War in 1845...
and Waimate North
Waimate North
Waimate North is a small settlement in Northland, New Zealand. It is situated between Kerikeri and Lake Omapere, west of the Bay of Islands.Okuratope Pa was situated here and was the home to chief Te Hotete of the Ngai Tawake hapu in the late 18th-early 19th centuries...
.
Okaihau College currently has four houses which are named after four native trees of New Zealand. These houses are:
- Kauri
- Rimu
- Totara
- Puriri
Each house competes for the inter-house championship each year. Each house is led by two senior captains who actively lead their house in events, including the annual swimming sports and athletics.