Welcome to our school website. Lower Moutere Primary School is unique in what it offers to children, to their growth and to their learning. Our school has between 160- 180 children, catering for the Years 1 to 8. Our school values celebrate this diversity. We provide an exciting, safe and welcoming environment for all, and our value of Respect – for ourselves, others and our school, are evident in the ways we work together.
Our 8 learning-spaces provide rich and individual opportunities for children to develop their potential and to grow their learning. The New Zealand Curriculum provides a focus on Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Our Lower Moutere Primary School Curriculum programmes build on these core areas by providing many opportunities for children in Arts, Sciences and Physical activity. Our Teachers and Support Staff are committed, skilled and passionate, and they work together to provide the best learning environment possible for children. Teachers are professionally current in their teaching styles and value a strong partnership with parents and whanau. Classrooms have the most current technologies, and these are used in varying ways to enhance and support learning.
Our expansive tree-enclosed, grass playing fields, and the several hard-court spaces, allow children to play and be instructed in a great number of games and sports. We are spoilt for green-space, and our staff have children regularly involved in physical activity that supports both competition and participation. Many musical opportunities are also provided for children, with the school employing a part-time music teacher. Cultural opportunities, events and celebrations reflect our diversity. The school has close ties with the local marae, and Resource teacher of Maori.
I welcome your interest in Lower Moutere Primary School and encourage you to build a positive partnership with us. We are a school that is very proud of our identity, our children, our staff, our facilities and our community. I know you will enjoy our website and I look forward to your contact.
Lower Moutere School recognises the unique bicultural nature of New Zealand society Lower Moutere School recognises the unique bicultural nature of New Zealand society and its obligations to the Treaty of Waitangi by ensuring that all children will be given the opportunity to experience Te Reo and Tikanga Maori.
These opportunities will happen as part of the school’s long term planning and day to day teaching supported by the local community, Iwi, professional development for staff and Ministry of Education resources and advisors.
All cultures are recognised and celebrated at Lower Moutere School. Children with a home language other than English are supported through our ESOL programme. Every two years the Board consults with Whanau of Maori students, evaluating the success of our current programmes and ensuring that they continue to meet the needs and aspirations of our Tamariki.
Lower Moutere School is a co-educational full primary school. Established in 1857, the school and community have had a rich and varied history. The school is nestled in the lower Moutere valley, just to the south of Motueka.
The school has for a long time, been the focal point of the community, with the pioneer settlers starting the school in the 1850s. These people assisted the Education Board to fund the building of the first school – originally made of mud and clay – bringing us to the fine buildings and facilities that we celebrate today.
The original school was built of mud – known as the ‘old mud school’. The school roll continued to grow and students were taught in the hall as well as the old school These primitive conditions did not prevail for very long, as the announcement that a new school building was to be built, on the same site as the ‘mud school’. The new school was opened by the then Minister of Education – Mr Black. Water for this great event was boiled in the schoolhouse copper – an event the local ladies worked hard to ensure the event was memorable – as hundreds of guests turned out for.
To add to the great facilities of the school, twenty local men brought in tractors and bulldozers, to develop court areas and playing areas on the terraced land. The committee developed paths and gardens, lawns were laid and the school became a place of real beauty.
By 1928, the new block was built. This is no longer in use by the school. As part of a land swap arrangement, the old part of the school, which is still adjacent to the now school site, is no longer used.
Just before 1941, a new schoolhouse was built – which has since been removed from the school property. It was placed where the new entrant class is currently, and was relocated into the Lower Moutere township. This new house was welcomed by the new Principal as reticulation had just come to the area.
The most memorable event that has occurred at the school is the large fire – April 7, 1990. An electrical fault is believed to have been the cause, resulting in the school losing 4 classrooms, reading recovery room, toilets and caretakers room. This event remains topical for many still today.
For more information about the school, please contact the school office – we have copies of the latest centenary booklet for sale!
Lower Moutere School Today
Lower Moutere School draws its student population from the closely populated rural Moutere valley and Mariri coastal region, the Lower Moutere settlement, as well as from some families in the Motueka Township.
The area has a horticultural, agricultural, forestry, fisheries and tourism economic base with many families engaged directly in these activities and their related servicing. Consequently seasonal factors influence work patterns.
Within the community there exist a diverse range of identifiable groups. These include:
The diversity of lifestyles and broad spectrum of social-economic statuses within the school's catchment area creates a positive vibrant school and community.
Our curriculum reflects the strengths and needs of the students attending our school and is based on the requirements of the New Zealand Curriculum and the aspirations of our school community.
Student Well-Being, Literacy and Maths are our primary focus areas and play a major role in the design of our curriculum. We ensure that we provide balance to our schools curriculum, through our Arts, Sciences and Physical Activities programmes. Our staff work in a collaborative and cohesive way, to ensure we have consistency across the school. This strengthens learning in our school for all learners, and enables greater interactions across the school. We are excited about our school curriculum, and see this as a fluid curriculum, that continually changes to meet the needs, interests and desires of the school, students and community.
The New Zealand Curriculum states that values are deeply held beliefs about what is important or desirable. They are expressed through the ways in which people think and act and as such are an integral part of the Lower Moutere School Curriculum. Values are specifically modelled then explored as part of school life. It is who we are and who we aspire to be at Lower Moutere Primary School. This applies to everyone in our community – students, their families, staff and the wider surrounding community.
Our core value is one of RESPECT…
Respect for Self
Respect for Others
Respect for the Environment
“Values are deeply held beliefs about what is important or desirable. They are expressed through the ways in which people think and act...Value are part of the everyday curriculum - encouraged, modelled, and explored.”
The New Zealand Curriculum Ministry of Education (2007), p.9-10
Students at Lower Moutere School are immersed from their first day into an enviroment that supports happy, successful learning in a respectful and caring way.
At Lower Moutere School, “to be the best that we can be”, means all members of our school community have the right to work, learn and play in a safe, secure and happy environment, where positive behaviours and attitudes towards learning are achieved through a school wide approach based on our core value - Respect.
Students have the right to:
Staff have the right to:
Parents have the right to:
The school is very fortunate to be able to resource many other supporting services, beyond the immediate school. We will often access outside agencies to help us work with students and families.
At Lower Moutere School, we regularly utilise the following:
If you have any concerns about your child’s learning, while at Lower Moutere School, the classroom teacher, along with our SENCO (Special Education Needs Co-Ordinator) will work with you to support your child.
Absentee Messages: 027 339 8801
office@lowermoutere.school.nz
principal@lowermoutere.school.nz
03 526 7775
8 School Road RD2,
Upper Moutere, Nelson, 7175
