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Monday 10th August | Vol 36 Issue 24 | Term 3 Week 4
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Freedom Within Limits: The Work of Becoming Independent
Rose Langridge - Social Studies, History and English Kaiako, High School
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There is a lot of talk about young people needing freedom. The freedom to make choices, to explore who they are, to have their own ideas, and to begin finding their place in the world.
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But freedom is often misunderstood.
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Freedom does not mean being able to do whatever you want, whenever you want. In fact, Montessori believed that this kind of freedom does not truly serve young people because it does not help them develop the skills they need to navigate the world.
This idea feels particularly relevant during adolescence. The Tāwari rangatahi are working out who they are, where they belong, and how they want to contribute. They are seeking independence and wanting to be trusted, while at the same time navigating uncertainty, vulnerability, and the challenge of understanding themselves.
This is big work.
Montessori understood that young people need genuine opportunities to make decisions, but those decisions need to exist within a framework that supports growth. She wrote, "Young people must have enough freedom to allow them to act on individual initiative. But so that individual action should be free and useful at the same time it must be restricted with certain limits and rules that give the necessary guidance." (From Childhood to Adolescence p.73.)
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This is the balance we work towards in our High School environment.
Our rangatahi have freedom in how they approach their learning, how they manage their time, how they collaborate with others, and how they contribute to our community. But this freedom comes with responsibility. They are learning that independence is not simply doing things alone; it is being able to make thoughtful decisions, recognise the impact of their choices, and take responsibility for themselves and others.
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Sometimes this means there are boundaries. Sometimes an adult will challenge a decision or ask a young person to reconsider their actions. This is not about removing freedom—it is about helping them develop the internal guidance they will need when there is no one there to provide an external limit.
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Montessori believed that discipline should come from within. She wrote, "We do not consider an individual disciplined only when he has been rendered artificially silent... It is an individual who is master of himself, and consequently, is able to follow a rule of life." (The Montessori Method, p.86.)
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The goal is not compliance. The goal is self-mastery.
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We see this growth in the everyday moments that often sit outside the timetable. When they notice someone needs support and step in. When they take responsibility for a shared space. When they give their time to help another person. When they choose to contribute to the community because they recognise that they are part of something bigger than themselves.
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These are the moments where freedom becomes meaningful.
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Montessori described this development as a "valorisation of their personality, making them feel capable of succeeding in life by their own efforts and merits." (From Childhood to Adolescence, p.45.) The work of adolescence is not simply preparing for exams or the next step beyond school. It is about becoming a person who knows themselves, understands their responsibilities, and feels capable of making a positive contribution.
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Freedom within limits is not about taking away freedom. It is about creating the conditions where true freedom can develop.
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E WHAI AKE (Coming up) . . .
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Tuesday 11th July [CANCELLED] Drama Club (9-12 and High School ākonga), 3:15pm - 4:15pm, T2
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Wednesday 12th August Lockdown Drill (WHOLE School), 10:30am
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Wednesday 12th August Maths Club, 3:30 - 4:30pm, Tāwari
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Friday 14th August PTA Rainbow Disco, 5pm - 7pm, T2
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Tuesday 18th August Drama Club (9-12 and High School ākonga), 3:15pm - 4:15pm, T2
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Wednesday 19th August Maths Club, 3:30 - 4:30pm, Tāwari
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Wednesday 19th August BOT/Council Hui, 7pm - 10pm, Tāwari
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Thursday 20th August PTA Meeting, 7:30pm, Zoom
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Lockdown Practice Drill
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A reminder that there will be a PRACTICE Lockdown Drill this coming Wednesday morning, 12th August. This drill will include the WHOLE school.
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Part of our lockdown procedure is to alert parents via email and app notifications that we are in lockdown. Therefore, you will receive notification messages notifying you we are in PRACTICE lockdown mode. You will not need to do anything when you receive this notice. The PRACTICE lockdown drill is scheduled to start sometime around 10:30am and will last approximately 20–30 minutes. School will resume as normal when finished. Please be aware that if you arrive at school to collect your child for an appointment during the practice lockdown, neither you nor your child will be able to leave until the all clear has been given.
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This drill is to ensure that our procedures and processes are up to date, and is in the best interests of safety for our staff and students.
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Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
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Tāwari Food Bank
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A reminder to please support Tāwari’s food bank,
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so they can make meals and baking for the community's needs.
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Aotearoa School Library Week
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This week is Aotearoa School Library Week! In order to celebrate it, we are sharing with you our new library system which can be accessed from home, via the web app.
Just go to the dashboard here and click which library collection you want to look at. There are also some fun things to look at on the homepage.
We know families don’t always have time to get to their local libraries so we have a great collection of books for your tamariki to borrow.
From fun early readers to picture books, fiction, graphic novels and non-fiction, there are books to enjoy across the school. With our new Web App, you can also browse the collection and see what's available anytime you want.
If a book is currently out we can reserve it for your child (Primary only).
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We are also always happy to have books recommended to us and also recommend books to you! Just flick me an email: hannah@waora.school.nz
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Tūhura (Specialist) Timetables Updated
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The Tūhura timetables for 6-9 and 9-12 have been updated in the School App. Please see the 'Useful Documents' section of the School App (found via the menu on the top left) for new details of times and classes. You can download the school app from here if you don't have it.
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Congratulations to Advaith Chukkala
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We are delighted to celebrate Kawakawa ākonga Advaith Chukkala , who recently made it through to the NZPMC (New Zealand Physics & Maths Competition) Final! The competition was a challenging one, making this a fantastic achievement and a wonderful reflection of Advaith’s hard work and determination.
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Advaith’s whānau shared their appreciation for the encouragement and support he received from his teachers along the way, including worksheets and practice exercises that helped him to challenge himself and grow in confidence.
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Ka rawe, Advaith! We are very proud of you and this wonderful achievement.
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Congratulations to Robyn!
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Congratulations to Rātā kaiako Robyn for completing and passing her AMI 6-12 training! This was no easy feat and represents a huge amount of hard work, dedication and commitment alongside her teaching.
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We are incredibly proud of Robyn and this wonderful achievement, and feel very fortunate to have her knowledge, passion and experience as part of our Wā Ora community.
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P.T.A (PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION)
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Coming Up
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Upcoming Meetings:
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Tuesday 20th August, 7:30pm (Zoom)
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Join us for the Wā Ora PTA RAINBOW Disco!
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Happening this Friday! Get ready for a fun evening of music and dancing from 5:00pm – 7:00pm at The High School in T2. Tickets are $10 per child (adults attend free) and include a party bag with snacks and sweets. Bring some gold coins to purchase extra snacks or fun disco activities and accessories.
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Supporting Winter Wellness in Our Learning Communities
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Attached is the Winter Wellness flyer from Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, which includes helpful tips and information to support tamariki, whānau, and staff to stay healthy throughout the winter season.
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Māori Playgroup in Naenae
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BNZ Hoops in Parks
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Badminton
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Water Polo
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Addison Lynds is representing our school on the Hutt Club Mixed Team.
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Term 4 After School Sports Sign Up
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Netball Years 1-4 (Includes preschool tamariki who have turned 5)
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Touch Rugby Years 1-8 (Includes preschool tamariki who have turned 5)
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Floorball Years 1-8 (Includes preschool tamariki who have turned 5)
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Basketball
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This is the last week of the college sport basketball season.
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Last week our junior team played HIB’s are we lost 41 - 52. It was a good game and Atreyu and Vale played well.
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Last week our senior team played Taita in the semi-final round. Our team fought hard, coming back from a 5-point deficit with 1 min left in the game. We won 56 - 54, this means that we are heading to the finals this Friday 14th August for the Hutt Valley Senior Boys Division 1 competition. Great effort from Angus and Ollie.
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