If you were driving past Kaingaroa School on the seventh of April, you would have noticed the field full of younger students engaged in their tabloids day. The year 7 and 8 students of Kaingaroa School were invited to organise and run the tabloids sports day for other schools across the Eastern Zone. Weeks of preparation went into organising this day of fun games for a number of enthusiastic, excited year 1 and 2 students from Peria, Oruaiti, Taipa, Mangonui and our own Kaingaroa School.

For several weeks before the event, Energizer Garth Hutchinson worked with us to help build our leadership skills, and give advice on how to run the day and work with the children. We even had Garth come to our class camp and do some leadership activities with us there.

When the visiting schools arrived, they moved down to the bottom field where Kaingaroa School Principal Kathy Hancock, Garth and the senior student leaders were waiting. The field was set up with five different stations, each featuring a different game and each run by a different group of Kaingaroa senior students. Each school moved to a different station, where the student leaders explained to the younger children how to play the games. The day involved the different groups of visiting students to rotate around the various games including Bucket Bonanza, Builders and Bulldozers, Rats and Rabbits and Pirate Ships.  

All the students really enjoyed the day, and so did the leaders.  “It's really great working with the juniors” said one of the student leader. “I liked Bucket Bonanza,” said a student from Oruaiti. “It was really good having Garth in school the weeks before and helping us to prepare for the activities on the tabloids day” commented another leader.

Throughout the day the leaders overcame problems and became more confident with their leadership skills. By the end of the day the leaders were really pleased with the way that the day had turned out and said they had lots of fun working with younger students.    

If you were driving past Kaingaroa School on the seventh of April, you would have noticed the field full of younger students engaged in their tabloids day. The year 7 and 8 students of Kaingaroa School were invited to organise and run the tabloids sports day for other schools across the Eastern Zone. Weeks of preparation went into organising this day of fun games for a number of enthusiastic, excited year 1 and 2 students from Peria, Oruaiti, Taipa, Mangonui and our own Kaingaroa School.

For several weeks before the event, Energizer Garth Hutchinson worked with us to help build our leadership skills, and give advice on how to run the day and work with the children. We even had Garth come to our class camp and do some leadership activities with us there.

When the visiting schools arrived, they moved down to the bottom field where Kaingaroa School Principal Kathy Hancock, Garth and the senior student leaders were waiting. The field was set up with five different stations, each featuring a different game and each run by a different group of Kaingaroa senior students. Each school moved to a different station, where the student leaders explained to the younger children how to play the games. The day involved the different groups of visiting students to rotate around the various games including Bucket Bonanza, Builders and Bulldozers, Rats and Rabbits and Pirate Ships.  

All the students really enjoyed the day, and so did the leaders.  “It's really great working with the juniors” said one of the student leader. “I liked Bucket Bonanza,” said a student from Oruaiti. “It was really good having Garth in school the weeks before and helping us to prepare for the activities on the tabloids day” commented another leader.

Throughout the day the leaders overcame problems and became more confident with their leadership skills. By the end of the day the leaders were really pleased with the way that the day had turned out and said they had lots of fun working with younger students.    

Written by James Broadwith, Year 8 student from Kaingaroa School