Snells Beach School Shared Vision                            July 2023

At Snells Beach School we are deeply committed to building strong sustainable relationships fostering a sense of belonging and identity.  This is created in a safe, harmonious, student-centered environment that we are all proud to belong to. Our actions and words cultivate inclusion.  The concept of whānau is evident as our partners in the education of our tamariki.  They feel welcome, wanting to be involved and recognised and valued for their talents and contributions.  We have positive links with the local community and utilise its rich natural and human resources to extend the opportunities for learning.

At Snells Beach School we are all learners.  We intentionally develop strategies to build resilience in us all through a balance of challenge, risk-taking and support.  We acknowledge it is ok to make mistakes.  As learners we have a strong understanding of the relevance of our learning through being engaged in authentic, real life learning activities across a variety of curriculum areas. Living our lives with humour and respect for self, others and the environment is the norm here.  We celebrate, support and value every person in our kura.  Mā te tuakana te teina e tōtika, Mā te teina te tuakana e tōtika — (The older will lead the younger and the younger will lead the older)

Learning is exciting, relevant and fun for us all.  Our learning engages our tamariki in authentic, real-life contexts being actively involved.  Hands-on exploring of our rich natural environment is encouraged.  Deep learning is built through strong relationships.  We believe everyone can learn when given the right opportunity, support and encouragement.  We believe in this current world a focus on simplicity and clarity for our learners is important so they know what they are learning, why they are learning it and are able to identify next steps.

Being an integral part of our local community is important to us all.  We can hear people referring to our SBS family as kind, caring and knowing what matters.  We experience opportunities to develop the skills to become self-sufficient and feel successful.  We stand out as ambassadors for our place displaying good values, initiative and gratitude.  “You don’t have to worry about them, they’ll be sweet” can be heard. We want to be able to retain our home-grown talent in our community. As our tamariki are the citizens of the future, we endeavour to be part of the decision making as the area grows and develops wider resources and infrastructure.  Snells Beach School is the heart of this community, it is our turangawaewae, where it is clearly evident that whakawhanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga, and manakitanga are deeply embedded in our daily lives.