Curriculum / Wānanga

At Totara we aim to inspire our students to succeed to their potential, developing pride and self-belief.

To be successful, Totara School students will need to be

Communicators Can ask questions based on responses to delve further. Can retell main points from listening to a speaker. With preparation can present ideas to a large group of people on a topic. Can respond to questions on a topic they are knowledgeable about.
Investigators Can compare and contrast previous experiences with current ones, or new ideas. Can independently locate and use a wide range of resources. Can ask deeper questions, involving two parts. Can discuss what they have learnt, and what is needed next with justifications.
Contributors Can justify and analyse consequences of chosen actions. Independently follows a plan of action (this may be beyond school). Can complete tasks, using initiative. Provides leadership of school events.
Innovators Can use new knowledge to create improvements to current designs. Can create detailed plans to solve a problem, with pros & cons identified. Can create new products or services to solve a need.