Huanui College

Huanui College was established on 8 February 2010 and officially opened by the Honourable Heather Roy and Mayor Stan Semenoff on March 10, 2010 at the College Opening Day and was blessed by the Reverend Hake Parata and he tangata o Pehiaweri Marae. The school came about by the vision of its founder, Mr Evan Hamlet. Evan, originally from Dargaville, established the College to provide high quality independent education. The College aims to develop students’ talents and abilities in a learning environment that encourages excellent attitudes to learning and life within a caring community that involves parents in their child’s education.

As our school reaches the end of its first decade of existence, we can reflect on the nature of time and its passing. You may forget the trivial and mundane or focus on monumental moments which tell a story and may be easily digested. The true nature of time however, is far more complex than the stories we choose to tell ourselves. Such stories often leave out the humanity of those involved. This makes us feel distant and helps us to see ourselves as separate from those of the past. In reality we are one and the same is so when discussing “Our Land’s Story”. Do not forget that “our” is not a reference just to those living but refers to the community we have built, spanning generations and cultures. The challenge to you is to see yourself as temporary yet send your story on to the future from the place we all share; this land.

A literal translation of our motto is: “He conquers who conquers himself”. Anyone can succeed through overcoming those difficulties which so often lie within ourselves. This philosophy underpins every aspect of the school and every student will be encouraged to undertake activities that challenge and inspire them in this way.

We are dedicated to providing Northland children with a uniquely individual educational experience. We believe that every child must be valued as an individual. Our shared vision is to develop self-confidence, self-worth and happiness in our students, within a special atmosphere of encouragement and support. The range of educational opportunities and learning approaches is designed to help each student discover and develop their strengths and weaknesses and identify areas where assistance may be needed. Opportunities for student leadership in all years will foster students’ self-confidence and promote responsibility for their own actions.

Huanui College welcomes the involvement of parents and is committed to developing a strong sense of community. We aspire to provide a place of learning where achieving personal excellence is the aim and expectation of every child.

We want our students to develop growth mind-sets where they realise that they can make changes and that while they cannot do something yet, with patience, perseverance and self-belief, they can grow and develop into the person they want to be.

We also want our students to develop resilience and realise that the road will not always be smooth. We want to encourage our students to take these obstacles in their stride and be able to bounce back from disappointment. This is an important life skill which will help develop the resilience needed in the future.

We believe there is more to be gained from sport than just participation. Time management, dedication, commitment, and self-discipline are all valuable skills that come from participating in sport.

A high level of coaching will be provided for a variety of sports, encompassing both the traditional team sports and a variety of individual sports. Huanui College has a strong relationship with the Whangarei Triathlon Club, Kamo Rugby Club, Mangapai Hockey Club, The Northern Suns Basketball and currently have 5 netball teams competing in the local competition.

Our students participate strongly at Northland Secondary School events, with many of our students going on to represent both the College and Northland at National events.In all sporting disciplines, sportsmanship and co-operation will be assiduously cultivated.