Ōmokoroa Point School students help design new billboard

Students Hana (left), Vivienne, and Evan show off their ideas for the new billboard. Photo / Western Bay of Plenty District Council

The beach, pōhutukawa, and kuaka (godwit) are just a few of the great ideas from Ōmokoroa Point School to feature on a new billboard sign at the entrance to Ōmokoroa.

The new billboard design will also feature a tohutō (macron) on the O of Ōmokoroa, following a successful campaign by the school's room 10.

In September, students presented Operation Tohutō to Western Bay of Plenty District Council, calling for a review of signage around the district to include a tohutō on Ōmokoroa, and any that had a legal name with a tohutō be updated.

Their request was unanimously agreed to by the councillors.

After their presentation, the council's chief executive John Holyoake invited the class to help design the new Ōmokoroa billboard at the intersection of State Highway 2 and Ōmokoroa Rd.

This week, they took up the invitation and participated in a co-design workshop with the council. The council team visited the class and worked with students to voice and illustrate their ideas of what Ōmokoroa means to them.

Principal Sandra Portegys said room 10 and Ōmokoroa Point School were excited to be part of the design process for the new sign.

"We thank the council for inviting us to be part of this. The designing of a new sign for Ōmokoroa shows the students that they do have a voice and they can participate in the democratic process to make change.

"We talk to our students about being an upstander, not a bystander when they see something that is not right. Room 10 is doing this through Operation Tohutō and I'm very proud of them."

Vivienne from room 10 was chuffed with the opportunity to contribute.

"We get to have a say in designing the billboard. It's great [the] council have taken time to visit, interact and help us."

Fellow student Evan said: "It's good giving kids a chance for an idea for the billboard."

Hana was excited to see the final design.

"It's cool! When we get to go past the billboard, we get to see what we love about Ōmokoroa."

Holyoake said the council appreciated room 10's mahi to be advocates in their community and helping design the billboard.

"Students in room 10 have shown we need more rangatahi, to lead change in our communities, to use their voice and show how to use and respect the reo. They should feel proud of their achievements. This is what generation change is all about."

The new billboard is planned to be revealed to Ōmokoroa Point School and local hapū within the coming months before it is placed at the entrance to Ōmokoroa.

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