It's an enrichment programme run by our eldest daughter's intermediate school. It is structured around three cycles — A, B and C — across Term 3, with choices spanning the arts, science, maths, sport and performance, from Anatomy & Dissection and Shark Tank to Stop Motion Animation and an off-site day camp.

How long does each Kahu Manu cycle run?

Each cycle runs for a week. Some programmes are offered across several cycles, and long-term projects such as sport or performance productions span all three.

Year 7 Enrichment Programme in NZ: How Kahu Manu Works

The notifications kept popping up on the Hero app. They were from my eldest's school — she's in Year 7 — about a programme called Kahu Manu. It runs in Term 3, and there was still plenty of time before sign-ups, so the message said to take our time looking through it before deciding. I downloaded the file that supposedly laid out the programme in detail, opened it, and was taken aback by the sheer scale of it. What on earth was Kahu Manu?

Kahu Manu is an enrichment programme run by my eldest's intermediate school. It's a special programme structured around three cycles — A, B, and C — across Term 3, offering a colourful range of choices spanning the arts, science, maths, sport, and performance. There's Anatomy & Dissection, where students actually carry out a dissection; Shark Tank, where they pitch their own business ideas in front of an audience; Stop Motion Animation, which they make themselves; Song Writing and Music Making; and Taiao Hopuni, an off-site day camp held at parks and the like.

How Kahu Manu Works

Each cycle runs for a week, and some programmes are offered as options across several cycles, so there's little constraint on timing. There are also long-term projects — like sport or performance productions — that span all three cycles. The programmes fall into three broad types: Selected, where you apply and go through a selection process; Opt-In, where you simply sign up; and Paid Opt-In, where you sign up and pay a fee. Paid Opt-In ranges from just $3 up to $90, so you can take part without much of a burden.

The file the school attached included curriculum documents or links for each programme, so I could get a careful sense of what each one was. I think this is also why they sent out a Term 3 programme from early in Term 2 — to give us time to choose thoughtfully. As my daughter and I looked through the programmes together, what I found most fascinating was that these weren't simply extracurricular activities or classes to "take" — they were a range of experiences where the children plan and carry things out themselves, from start to finish.

Min's Three Choices

After much deliberation, Min chose three programmes. First, she was drawn to a bread-making programme — but looking closer, it wasn't simply about making bread; it was a 'Business' course where you make, taste, and sell. Another option, Buddy Learning, pairs her with a student from the neighbouring primary school to teach them maths, English, sport, or social science. This too isn't just about passing on given information — it's a remarkable experience where she plans the lessons herself, builds the curriculum, and teaches. Finally, she chose journaling, which she already loves: a programme where you create your own bullet journal in your own format and finish by expressing a power statement through art — perfect, I thought, for eleven- and twelve-year-olds working hard to establish their own identity.

I fell in love with Kahu Manu the moment I saw it. From the way children look through countless options and choose what they want after careful thought, to the way each programme draws out their growth — I loved all of it. Education that builds the power to think for themselves rather than follow a set course; that has them look at the whole arc from start to finish, not just one stage. I could see education that helps them set and design their own direction.

한국어 요약

Hero 앱에 알림이 계속 떴다. Year 7인 Min의 학교에서 보낸 Kahu Manu 안내였다. 첨부 파일을 열어 보고 그 규모에 놀랐다. Kahu Manu는 Min의 인터미디어트 학교가 Term 3에 운영하는 심화(enrichment) 프로그램으로, A·B·C 세 사이클에 걸쳐 예술, 과학, 수학, 스포츠, 공연을 아우르는 선택지가 펼쳐진다. 실제로 해부를 해 보는 수업, 청중 앞에서 사업 아이디어를 발표하는 Shark Tank, 스톱모션 애니메이션, 작곡, 공원에서 하는 당일 캠프까지 있다.

사이클 하나는 일주일이고, 여러 사이클에 걸쳐 열리는 프로그램도 있다. 유형은 선발을 거치는 Selected, 신청만 하면 되는 Opt-In, 참가비를 내는 Paid Opt-In 세 가지다. 참가비는 3달러에서 90달러 사이라 큰 부담은 아니다. 학교가 Term 2 초부터 자료를 보낸 것도 천천히 고르라는 뜻이었을 것이다.

Min은 고민 끝에 세 가지를 골랐다. 만들고 맛보고 파는 데까지 가는 제빵 비즈니스 과정, 이웃 초등학교 학생에게 직접 수업을 짜서 가르치는 Buddy Learning, 그리고 자기만의 불렛 저널을 만드는 저널링이다. 정해진 길을 따라가는 대신 처음부터 끝까지 스스로 계획하고 해내게 하는 교육이라는 점이 나는 가장 좋았다.

Yussi

Writer · Social work student, Massey University

A mother of three girls and a Korean immigrant making Mairangi Bay home — writing about starting school, home learning and everyday life on Auckland's North Shore.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Kahu Manu?: It's an enrichment programme run by our eldest daughter's intermediate school. It is structured around three cycles — A, B and C — across Term 3, with choices spanning the arts, science, maths, sport and performance, from Anatomy & Dissection and Shark Tank to Stop Motion Animation and an off-site day camp.
How do students get into a Kahu Manu programme?: The programmes fall into three types: Selected, where you apply and go through a selection process; Opt-In, where you simply sign up; and Paid Opt-In, where you sign up and pay a fee, ranging from $3 up to $90.
How long does each Kahu Manu cycle run?: Each cycle runs for a week. Some programmes are offered across several cycles, and long-term projects such as sport or performance productions span all three.

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