Awa ā WhÄnau Permission and Notification
He Reta ki ngÄ WhÄnau Ā· Fieldwork and Community Interview Consent Ā· Years 7ā9
NgÄ WhÄinga Akoranga Ā· Learning Intentions
- Teacher use: ensure all students have whÄnau consent before attending fieldwork or conducting community interviews
- Teacher use: invite whÄnau to participate as volunteers and knowledge-holders, not just as signatories
- Teacher use: communicate clearly about the educational purpose, safety measures, and scope of the activity
- Teacher use: model for students how community relationships are built through respectful communication
Paearu Angitu Ā· Success Criteria
- All students have returned a signed permission slip before the activity takes place
- At least one whÄnau member has been invited and responded ā whether or not they can attend
- Students with unreturned slips have an alternative participation pathway agreed in advance
- WhÄnau who join the visit or interview feel welcomed, respected, and valued as knowledge-holders
He Reta ki ngÄ WhÄnau Ā· Letter to WhÄnau
Customise the letter below before printing. Replace [bracketed sections] with your specific information.
[School Name] ā Kura
[Address] | [Phone] | [Email]
RÄ / Date: ____________________
TÄnÄ koe / TÄnÄ koutou ā Greetings to you and your whÄnau,
Ko [class name] tÅku akomanga. I am writing to let you know about an exciting learning opportunity as part of our Kaitiaki o te Awa unit ā Freshwater Advocacy. Your tamariki has been learning about the health of our local waterway, including water quality, freshwater organisms, and what our community can do to care for it.
What we are doing:
We will be visiting [name of awa or location] on [date], leaving at [time] and returning by [time]. Students will observe the waterway, collect simple data (temperature, water clarity, litter counts), and complete a short kaitiaki action (for example: rubbish collection, native planting, or signage). This is an Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) activity linked directly to our classroom learning.
Safety:
- Qualified adults and first aid will be on site at all times
- Students will not enter the water unless it is specifically pre-approved and safe
- We will do a weather check and have a backup plan if conditions change
- We will practise karakia before and after to acknowledge the significance of the awa
- Students need: [list gear ā e.g., hat, sunscreen, closed-toe shoes, water bottle, lunch]
We warmly invite you to join us!
We would love whÄnau to come along as helpers ā and especially if you have knowledge of this awa (its name, its history, its health over the years), we would be honoured to have you share that kÅrero with our class. Your presence would enrich the experience in ways that a teacher alone cannot provide.
Please return the slip below by [return date]. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at [email/phone]. NgÄ mihi nui ā warm regards,
[Teacher Name]
[Class] Ā· [School Name]
Awa Visit ā Permission Slip Ā· He KÅ«iti Äpitihanga
I give permission for my child to attend the awa visit / kaitiaki activity on [date].
Would you like to join us as a whÄnau helper or knowledge-holder?
He tino mÄhunga tÄnei mahi ā this work genuinely matters for our tamariki and for our awa. NgÄ mihi.
Hononga Marautanga Ā· Curriculum Alignment
Level 3ā4: investigate how human activity affects freshwater ecosystems; collect and interpret environmental data; understand that freshwater is a shared resource requiring collective stewardship.
EOTC compliance: identify risks in outdoor environments; implement appropriate safety management procedures; involve all relevant parties in planning safe learning experiences outside the classroom.
KÅrero Äpiti Ā· Additional Notes
Kaiako notes / special requirements for this trip:
Aronga MÄtauranga MÄori
In te ao MÄori, education is a whÄnau responsibility ā not only a school one. The concept of kotahitanga (unity) means that learning is strongest when school and home work together toward the same purpose. A permission slip that merely seeks a signature misses this: it treats whÄnau as gatekeepers rather than partners. This letter is designed to be an invitation ā to whÄnau who might know the name of the awa in te reo, who remember when the kÅura were plentiful, who have watched the water change over their lifetime. Those voices carry knowledge that no textbook holds. Welcoming whÄnau into the learning honours the principle of manaakitanga toward the knowledge they carry.
NgÄ Rauemi Tautoko Ā· Support Materials
Resources already provided:
- Awa Risk Brief (awa-risk-brief.html) ā use alongside this form for teacher EOTC documentation
- Awa Observation Sheet (awa-observation-sheet.html) ā students take this on the visit day
- Awa Action Checklist (awa-action-checklist.html) ā plan roles and logistics before the visit
- Awa Reflection Prompts (awa-reflection-prompts.html) ā use after fieldwork to process whÄnau interactions
š Teacher Planning Snapshot
NgÄ WhÄinga Ako ā Learning Intentions
Students will engage with this hauora resource to build holistic wellbeing knowledge, connecting te ao MÄori perspectives on hauora with personal, social, and environmental dimensions of health.
NgÄ Paearu AngitÅ« ā Success Criteria
- ā Students can explain key hauora concepts using their own words and personal examples.
- ā Students can connect te ao MÄori frameworks (e.g. Te Whare Tapa WhÄ) to real wellbeing contexts.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold support: Provide sentence starters, graphic organisers, and entry-level tasks to scaffold access. Offer extension challenges for capable learners to address a range of readiness levels.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key vocabulary (hauora, wairua, tinana, hinengaro, whÄnau). Allow students to draw or respond in their home language as a first step.
Inclusion: Hauora topics can be sensitive ā create a safe learning environment. Neurodiverse learners benefit from choice in how they demonstrate wellbeing understanding. Use accessible, non-threatening language.