A South Canterbury school with only 27 pupils was the recipient of a new values award, beating all other participating schools in the region.
Makikihi School was awarded the inaugural South Canterbury Kiwi Can outstanding school award last week as part of its annual junior and senior Kiwi Can champion prizegiving.
Kiwi Can is a primary and intermediate school programme offered by the Graeme Dingle Foundation that focuses on teaching pupils values such as integrity and respect through interactive and fun activities.
Makikihi School principal Tina Ivamy said Kiwi Can had been invaluable.
‘‘It links to our own school values — it adds another layer so that our values don’t stand alone.
‘‘Our values are embedded into everything we are doing.
‘‘Everybody that comes in to run our programmes work off our values.
‘‘It isn’t just a token once a week thing, it enriches our own curriculum.’’
The school has run the programme for the last five years and pays $240 per student per year for it.
It is run each Friday by Kiwi Can leaders Brenna Coster and Tanati Bidois .
Deputy principal Megan Fraser said the pupils absolutely loved being a part of the programme.
‘‘It’s a highlight of the week for them.
‘‘They enjoy the leaders, the activities and you can see them learning along with what we are doing with the values in our curriculum.
‘‘You can also hear them outside of Kiwi Can talking about being respectful, resilient and co-operating.
‘‘It’s great reinforcement.’’
The school had no idea it would receive the outstanding school award — it did not know it even existed.
Mrs Ivamy said the school was given the award when the leaders came to present the regular junior and senior prizes.
‘‘They gave out the awards and then surprised us with the outstanding school award.
‘‘They said to us we had won it because we were the school with family-like values and they felt welcomed to be here.’’
It was honoured to be the first school to receive the new award.
‘‘Part of our strategic plan is to have that family-like feel, that family-like way of being.
‘‘The award and their comments were really the icing on the cake, because it affirmed to us that what we are doing here is making a difference.’’
The school was also the recipient of a Mamaku Point Conservation Trust gift, which would send the pupils to Stewart Island for a camp next September.
The school wanted to continue with the programme next year; however, Canterbury Kiwi Can co-ordinator Karla Guerin said it would be on hold in South Canterbury because of staffing shortages.
