"That's why they were here. To look for innovative ways of working with communities and that's what we're trying to develop, to find a new way of doing things to help our students do well, both academically and w holistically and in every way."
Deputy principal Gene Bartlett said students had helped stage a powhiri, or welcome, for the politicians before the collaborative approach that underpins the centre was outlined during their tour.
"They really appreciated the visit and acknowledged our students right from the minute they got out of their cars to when they had a korero (conversation) with students to see what they were getting out of the programme. They seemed very impressed, which is great."
Mr Bartlett said the scheme, which aims to build confident leadership in students through a range of elements from family health and coping with loss and grief, siblings, and bullying to water safety, traditional Maori arts, and marae stays.
Students and their whanau, or family, can be school or self-referred and the philosophy and aims of the scheme, open to Maori and non-Maori, were outlined to the visiting MPs.
"We talked about the next stage of Ka Rewa hopefully going down to Featherston and a similar initiative down there including the in-class aspects and the clinic, or hub side, where the services come to the centre.
He said there were also plans to run a weekly counselling session at Ka Rewa and a clinical psychologist had also pinpointed the needs and preferences of students after interviewing a representative group of children.
"The creation of Ka Rewa may have come from a Maori kaupapa, and the framework, but it's here for all kids and they themselves are helping to refine and decide what happens there."
