Tirimoana School’s young leaders making waves

For the Year 6 student leaders at Tirimoana School, leadership is more than just wearing a badge - it’s about learning, teamwork, service, and connection. With support from Sport Waitākere (now Waitākere) and the Waitākere Outrigger Canoe Club, these young leaders took part in a unique, hands-on Leadership Day that brought their learning to life.

The Student Leadership Day was the second part of a kaupapa that began earlier in the year.  In term one, Sport Waitākere’s Healthy Active Learning team worked with the Tirimoana Student Leadership Group to unpack what it truly means to be a leader. Together they explored the idea that leadership is about action and attitude — not just a title.

“Just because you’ve got the badge doesn’t mean you’re automatically a leader,” says Natalie Wilcock, Healthy Active Learning Advisor at Sport Waitākere. “That’s something we really wanted to help the tamariki understand and explore through practical experiences.”

The day began at the Waitākere Outrigger Canoe Club, where tamariki experienced waka ama — a first for the school and an exciting way to learn about leadership through cultural connection and teamwork. From organising paddles and bailing water, to working together to carry and paddle the waka, students were challenged to step up and support each other.

“It was so cool to see what I’m confident will be the start of an ongoing relationship between Tirimoana and the Waitākere Outrigger Canoe Club.  The passion and excitement that exuded from the tamariki as the day progressed was awesome to witness,” reflects Natalie.

Through the waka ama experience, students naturally engaged with te ao Māori — learning karakia, hearing the whakapapa of the waka, and using reo Māori throughout the day.

“It really brought an even richer sense of learning to the leadership day,” says Natalie. “The tamariki quickly clicked that being a leader doesn’t always mean being the one ‘in charge’. Sometimes it means pitching in, doing the hard mahi, and thinking about the collective before yourself.”

In the afternoon, students returned to school for a series of leadership-focused activities led by Tirimoana School kaiako, Matthew Lyon (Deputy Principal) and Miriana Christensen, with support from the Sport Waitākere team. The sessions were designed to reinforce the day’s lessons and give each student a chance to lead in different ways.

“There were moments throughout the day when different students naturally stepped up.  It was great to see everyone have their moment to shine — leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all,” adds Natalie.

To round out the day, the students collaborated on a special act of service — creating new checker and chess pieces for the wider school community to enjoy. This final activity underscored the message that leadership also means giving back.

This Leadership Day marked a milestone for Tirimoana Primary, offering their young leaders a powerful blend of cultural learning, physical challenge, and real-world leadership experience.

“I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of it,” says Natalie. “The day showed just how much potential these young leaders have — not just to lead their peers, but to grow into thoughtful, connected contributors to their communities.”

Tirimoana’s young leaders are indeed making waves — and this is just the beginning.