31/10/2025
Whareorino Strong!
Little did we know when we left Te Anga Stock Day what the next few weeks would bring - floods, slips, road closures, no power and an emergency school closure.
But what a community we have! Neighbours checked in, shared food and water and helped each other through. Huge thanks to Herbert Bennett for clearing roads, and to the Police, Fire Brigade, Te Nehenehenui Trust, Mayoral Relief Fund and MOE for their support.
We’re back at school now, with plenty of stories to tell and even stronger connections. We won a prize from Tui through Garden to Table and lots of us went docking. With a Rural First Aid course under our belt we are better prepared for emergencies and accidents.
The Crazy Pet Day (we couldn’t get to Tainui Girls and Boys Pet Day - another slip) lifted everyone’s spirits, with all becoming pets to be paraded around the ring.
The road to Awakino will soon be fully open as the crew makes their way through 29 slips. For now, it’s still just residents, recognisable by our muddy utes.
Today we finished where we started, driving back through Marokopa with van load of happy students after spending a combined Halloween Day with Piripiri School - reconnecting with our rural friends and having some fun!
Thank you Whareorino School community, where resilience, teamwork and making the best of what you have, gets us through.
