Student Wellbeing
Whāre Structure
All students are placed in one of four whāre, where they will be supported by a kaiarataki (head of house) who will work alongside the kaitiaki (dean of house) and a group of whānau teachers.
Students will be connected to the same whāre throughout their time at Riccarton High School. Our 4 whāre are:
KOTUHI | Pre-dawn
Purple
Kaiarataki: Miss Emma Cusdin
Kaitiaki: Mr Mel Anderson
ATATU | Day-break
Yellow
Kaiarataki: Miss Aeronwy Cording
Kaitiaki: Miss Natalie Bell
WHAIAO | Broad daylight
Blue
Kaiarataki: Mrs Carmen Kenton
Kaitiaki: Mrs Tara Bell
URANGA | Dusk
Orange
Kaiarataki: Ms Emma Trott
Kaitiaki: Matua Ramon Roberts
Counsellors
Riccarton High School has two counsellors and a social worker who ensure students receive information to assist them to make positive, informed and appropriate decisions about their future. The counsellors are also available if students have specific concerns about anything at school or home.
Learning Support Co-ordinator
The Learning Support Co-ordinator oversees extra learning support required by students who have been diagnosed with specific learning disabilities, physical disabilities, or behavioural disorders so that they can be more successful in the classroom.
Whānau Classes
Each whāre consists of a group of whānau classes. These classes will be around 18 students in total, covering a range of students from Years 9 to 13 with one whānau teacher.
The vertical nature of these whānau classes will allow older students to mentor younger students.
In Te Ao Māori, this system of older and younger learning from each other is referred to as tuakana–teina.
Whānau classes will meet for two short, 20-minute sessions each week and one longer session which will allow for a stronger focus on academic mentoring, life skills, embedding aspects of well-being and resiliency.
Kōtuhi | Purple
Ms Karen Browning KBZ
Mr Elliott Campbell KCB
Mrs Louise Heenan KHE
Ms Julia Johnstone KJS
Ms Annie King KKG
Ms Carole Lake KLK
Mrs Heather Lindsay KLY
Ms Lydia Mills KMI
Ms Sue Napier KNP
Mr Matt Roland KRD
Mr Paddy Scott KSC
Mrs Alex Schwass KSW
Mr Eric Wang KWG
Atatū | Yellow
Mrs Lorna Biddington ABD
Mr Charles Grubb AGB
Mrs Jo Gordon AGD
Ms Aidyn Thomas AGR
Ms June Milne AME
Mr Blair McHugh AMH
Ms Jenny May AMY
Ms Sarah Nicholas AMY
Mr Chris Nielsen ANS
Mr Lachlan Paewai APW
Mrs Sabina Reed ARR
Mrs Kate Rowlands ARW
Mrs Maree Vercoe AVE
Mr Bryan Wedlake AWA
Whaiao | Blue
Mrs Sarah Blissett WBI
Mrs Nikki Conyers WCS
Ms Sarah Dunn WDN
Mr Jeff Gunn WGN
Mr Andrew Jefferson WJE
Mrs Jena Johnston WJT
Mrs Anthea Knowles WKN
Ms Kerry McCarthy WMCY
Miss Monique Nixon WNX
Mrs Cerys Roberts-Smith WRB
Mrs Kara Ross WRS
Mr Michael Seddon WSD
Ms Annette Schnell WSL
Mr Chris Stewart WST
Mrs Lucia Teague-Schellekens WTS
Uranga | Orange
Mr Remco Baars UBB
Ms Amie Blackwell UBW
Ms Juliet Fry UFR
Ms Aleysha Kerrigan UGI
Mr Joel Hammond UHM
Mrs Michelle Hemmingsen UHN
Miss Tania Hawes UHW
Mr Yu Ito UIT
Miss Kristi Le Cren ULC
Mr Sam Leary ULR
Mrs Susan McCabe UMCB
Ms Anne-Marie Plummer UPL
Mr John Webster UWS