The story of Tupaia, a navigator and high priest from the island of Rā‘iātea. Keywords: art, change, colonisation, communication, diplomacy, discovery, Endeavour, exploration, Gisborne, history, interpreting, James Cook, Joseph Banks, journeys, language, Māori, migration, misunderstanding, navigation, New Zealand history, Pacific, Polynesia, Rā‘iātea, science, Tahiti, Taiato, Taputapuātea, Te Hā, te reo Māori, Tolaga Bay, transit of…
A whimsical poem from Lynley Edmeades on the topic of flying.
Jordie is hanging out with his friend Raj when his younger brother Jess suggests that they join him for a bike ride at the reserve. Jordie grudgingly agrees, but it’s clear that there’s some tension in the air, at least from Jordie’s side. In the bush, they come to a “No Trespassers” sign. With varying…
In the story “The Mohawk” by Tim Tipene, a young boy named Jason decides to get a bold mohawk hairstyle to stand out, only to find that his new look brings unexpected challenges and lessons about identity and self-confidence at school.
In 1958, a young girl named Grace navigates her relationship with her aging grandmother, whose gift of a colourised vintage photograph highlights their striking resemblance and the inevitable passage of time. .
In the story “Checkmate” by Victor Rodger, a young boy named Mani, who is usually underestimated by his more academic sister and competitive cousins, surprises his family by revealing his strategic talent during a game of chess. Despite being seen as someone who only cares about rugby and “dumb stuff,” Mani uses his quiet observation…
Inside this School Journal are four stories (Checkmate; In Colour; The Mohawk; Trespass) and one poem (Instructions for Travelling without Touching the Ground) and one play (Smash Hit) and one article (Tupaia: Master Navigator).
Faced with a ten-minute deadline at school camp, a group of students humorously improvises a “smash hit” skit by frantically blending their conflicting ideas about bio-tech engineering, aliens, family metaphors, and a smelly dog.
In this narrative poem, a boy uses humour to confront a bully.
In the story “Speechless” by Fifi Colston, a young girl named Tilda attempts to navigate her school’s “Day of Silence” fundraiser while dealing with the frustration of being misunderstood by her peers and a competitive classmate. Tilda, who usually talks a lot, finds that her vow of silence allows her to observe others more closely…
The article “Unwanted Visitors” by Allan Burne explains the critical importance of biosecurity in New Zealand, detailing how strict border controls and community surveillance protect the country’s unique environment and economy from the devastating impact of invasive pests, weeds, and diseases.
This article is based on the diary of Iris Marshall, a ten-year-old girl who sailed on the yacht Dog Star with her parents and a family friend from New Zealand to Nouméa. The text details the highs and lows of the journey from Iris’s perspective and includes some excerpts from the on-board logbook. While few…
In the story “Donkey Sleepover” by Sarah Johnson, a young girl hosting her first sleepover is initially nervous about her small home, her parents’ unique food, and the presence of stray animals. While a group of popular girls leaves early after one discovers she is allergic to the family’s surprise guest guinea pigs, the narrator…
In the story “Whānau” by Whiti Hereaka, a young boy named Timi, who is living with his grandmother on a farm while missing his mother and deceased grandfather, finds comfort and a sense of belonging when he is gifted a puppy. As Timi cares for the small, homesick dog, he realizes that his new life…
This mysterious story combines the familiarity of a coming-of-age story with elements of fantasy. The setting and time are vague. There is magic at work, yet most students will relate to the sense of pressure that comes from trying to meet an older person’s expectations while working out personal values and priorities. The layers of…
Inside this School Journal are three stories (Suckered; Dangerous Games; Little Fisherman), three articles (Fly Me Up; Listening Eyes, Speaking Hands: The Story of Deaf Education in New Zealand; Hine-o-te-Rangi: The Adventures of Jean Batten), and one poem (Kilikiti).
In this article, the author explains the concept of transliteration between English and Samoan through words like “elefane” and “kilikiti,” while celebrating the latter as a vibrant, inclusive, and community-focused version of cricket that involves everyone from children to grandparents.
This is an article about Jean Batten, a New Zealand eighteen-year-old who had a dream to fly. She wanted to become the first woman to fly alone from England to New Zealand. So in 1930, the year she turned twenty, Jean travelled to England to learn how to fly. Keywords: achievement, aeroplanes, aviation, courage, determination,…
“Fly Me Up” explores the artworks of Tiffany Singh, an artist who works with communities to create large, colourful installations that draw attention to social issues. Tiffany has Indian and Samoan ancestry, and her artworks are influenced by her personal explorations of identity, culture, and spirituality. Keywords: art, Auckland, citizenship, collaboration, culture, diversity, flags, Fly…
This article explores how attitudes to deafness have changed over time. The article includes a social history of the van Asch Deaf Education centre, which opened in 1880. Keywords: cochlear implants, culturally Deaf, Deaf, deaf education, education, Gerrit van Asch, hearing aids, identity, New Zealand, Sign Language, oralism, Relay, sign language, Sumner School for the…
In this story, a young girl named Haylee navigates the challenges of her new blended family by joining her mother’s partner and his two sons on a fishing trip, where she eventually finds common ground and a sense of belonging through a shared catch.
In this story, two rival students named Jason and Maia compete in a triple-points classroom quiz where they must use their research skills to verify the existence of the “North American tree octopus,” ultimately learning a lesson about the importance of evaluating the reliability of internet sources. Keywords: competition, evaluating evidence, fact checking, hoax, humour,…
In this futuristic mystery story, detective Minnie Sharp is shocked to see the criminal scientist she recently helped convict appearing on television to announce a new tournament on Mars. She realises that her previous work has been undone and she must once again use her creative thinking to stop a threat to the planet’s ecosystem…
This journal contains three stories (Ancestors; Fangs the Sequel; Koro’s Song), One Poem (Acrostic poem), One Play (The Young Ecoleaders Award Play) and two articles (Finding George and Journey on the Sea).
In this powerful and moving article, Henrietta Bollinger tells the story of her great-great-uncle George, a soldier in the First World War. Most students will have learnt something about the First World War, and many will know something of their own family stories. Keywords: bravery, courage, family history, family stories, fear, Gallipoli, George Bollinger, German…
This article is about the importance of water safety in New Zealand. Aotearoa is an island nation with more than 15,000 kilometres of coastline (only nine other countries have more). It’s no wonder so many of us love the water. But activities like swimming, surfing, fishing, and sailing all involve risk. On average, more than…
In this poem about writing poetry, Tim Upperton subverts the form of the acrostic to show what can happen when the words and ideas are let free. This is a poem that speaks to students’ experiences as readers and writers of poetry and makes it fun.
In this story, a father camping with his two children shares a chilling memory of a funeral in Tonga where persistent drumming from the empty bush led the village to believe their ancestors were joining them in their grief.
In this story, Madeline the vegetarian vampire attempts to bond with her friend Lydia’s younger brother, Zac, by taking him to a local fair. She eventually wins his respect not through supernatural powers, but by standing up to a group of bullies in the haunted castle attraction.
In this story, a young boy named Dom struggles with resentment and grief during a holiday visit to an ecovillage, where he eventually begins to accept his grandmother’s new partner, Ivan, and finds the courage to perform a song dedicated to his late grandfather.
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