Kokopu Staff at Mangere Stream Falls opposite the School.
Front left, Anna Boaz, Paul Ruddell, Cindy Stafford, Jennifer Hibbert; back left, Yaron Overeem, and Ratama Weavers. Photo / Supplied.
Kokopu Staff at Mangere Stream Falls opposite the School.
Front left, Anna Boaz, Paul Ruddell, Cindy Stafford, Jennifer Hibbert; back left, Yaron Overeem, and Ratama Weavers. Photo / Supplied.
Kokopu School is on a journey to discover the origins of its name, reconnect with the local history of the area and publish an almanac with all it has discovered.
A group of five teachers and principal Yaron Overeem recently went on a countryside walk to learn the historical significanceof the area.
Their journey began with a visit to Tangiteroria school where they have a focus on Tuakana–teina (a Maori traditional model where older students guide the younger ones) in their teaching module. Overeem says Kokopu school has a similar approach in their institution and so it was insightful to learn from what the other school was doing.
View from the top of Pukeatua Pa site (Next to Maungatapere Mountain) looking towards Maunu Mountain. Photo / Supplied.
The staff then explored the Pukeatua pa and learnt about the Maungatapere settlement.
Their next stop was Māngere Stream and the staff was accompanied by the Pye family.
Admiring the Chaple overlooking the waterfall on Rob Pye's property are, left to right, Ratama Weaver, Yaron Overeem and Jennifer Hibbert. Photo / Supplied.
Overeem said the Pye family was one of the earliest families to be part of Kokopu School and maintained a good relationship with the school.
The family owns a significant portion of land in the area. The staff visited a chapel built on the family land and also did a bit of caving through the Rock Pye.
Kokopu School teachers Anna Boaz and Ratama Weaver in the cave on Rob Pye's property. Photo / Supplied.
Members from another local family in the community, Peter and Royce Kokich visited the staff later.
The Kokich family settled in Kokopu in 1912 and has been a part of the school for over a century. Overeem said it was interesting to learn about all the changes that had occurred since.
"There is so much rich history there, but everything is oral and nothing has ever been documented or written anywhere. So, the families are the only way of knowing the history of the native land."
A climb on the Maunu volcanic hill 395m above sea level was also on the itinerary but time ruled it out.
This trip was in preparation for the curriculum in term 4 during which the school would study history through visiting Korokota Marae at Titoki. The students would accompany the staff to visit the local families in the community.
"We will go together as a whole school in our tuakana teina groupings, building on the focus we have had this year on our older students supporting our younger ones to learn and feel connected.
"We are using the community connections to learn our local history, particularly Maori history," says Overeem.
"By going and doing these things we were able to get the 'stories of our land' and learn first-hand from people who are connected to these places."
Kokopu School values 'Respecting Ourselves, Respecting Others and Respecting our Environment' fitted well with the local focus, said Overeem.
The school often did marae visits, but this was the first time it did a trip down the local heritage and learning through the community.
Overeem said the goal after the students have had the same experience, was to create a mini almanac or history booklet so future students, teachers and community members learn what they had found.
"When people look back, they can see the documentation from 2021. We had many booklets prepared many years ago. The last one was made for the 105th anniversary of the school in 1989. It seemed like a good practice to document our history and carry on with that tradition."
Ratama Weavers looking at some Kauri gum bought in by Royce and Peter Kokich during their talk about the history of their local area. Photo / Supplied.
With regards to the school being named after a native fish, Overeem says they are yet to discover why it was named after a fish.
Kaitara West School was renamed Kokopu School when the school was relocated to its current location on Kokopu Rd opposite Māngere Stream in the early 1900s.
"Maybe it is named Kokopu to symbolise our close association with water conservation. We do a little bit of wetland work and always look out for our awa. Kokopu fish live in the river and it is our responsibility to look after them."
