Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Hi to all parents and school teachers in the Tauranga, Mount Maunganui and Papamoa areas.

I would welcome your views and recommendations on both primary and high schools including the Catholic schools in the area.

OUR DAUGHTER
I have a very sensitive 13 year old daughter who is 14 in December. She does not respond well to harsh criticism and overbearing authoritarianism and would benefit from a more nurturing positive educational environment.
She is a very talented artist, skilled on the computer including computer graphics. She is also interested in Japanese culture and the arts and has started to teach herself to speak Japanese. She is not particularly sporty but is willing to try some new water sports when we move over.
Her career ambitions are to be a graphic artist or film animator.

OUR SON
He has a wonderful sense of humour and is a popular little boy. He is 8 and will be 9 in March. He dislikes team sports but enjoys Tae Kwondo and is keen to learn to surf although his confidence in the water is not great yet. His favourite pastimes are the wii and his bike. He is very laid back and tries hard at school achieving well in maths and his English is improving rapidly after a slow start due to a late diagnosis of short sightedness. He is also very spiritual and for that reason I would ideally like him to continue having a Christian education.

Please feel free to share your experiences and thoughts here as I am sure other members would appreciate this too.

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Come on now don't be shy........

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Hi

If you are looking outside the Mount/Papamoa then St Marys is a Primary Catholic school in Tauranga with a very good reputation, if you rent in Otumoetai then both Pillans Point and Matua are very good - both are zoned though. Bethlehem Primary is also good - not sure if it is zoned.
Bethlehem College is a Christian school both Primary and Secondary (partially fee paying). Acquinas is the Catholic Secondary school in the area.

Hope this helps, I know children at all these schools if you have any specific questions.

Kate

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Hi Kate thanks for your suggestions on schools. We may well end up further out. I am looking at Omokoroa at the moment do you know how that might affect our application for high schools.?

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Hi Nelly

I'm not 100% sure. Bethlehem would be easily accessible from Omokoroa and I assume you would be zoned for Tauranga Girls/Boys and possibly Otumoetai College (which is co-ed). Good luck with your school visits, we are lucky that most of the schools in the area seem to have a good reputation so hopefully it will be down to your personal choice.
If you do end up in Omokoroa there are 2 primary schools up there if you didn't want to bus into town.

Kate

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Not so sure about zoning, have a look at these links. Pretty sure you're ok.


Tauranga Girls

Bethlehem College

And you'll be in zone for Otumoetai, although Otumoetai and TGC seem like a Hell of a trek to me!:D I'm so lazy!!:o

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Received Tauranga Girls prospectus today and I am pretty impressed with it and how professional they have been with their general correspondence. MM College were very laid back , made no appointment and sent no correspondence.
I believe Bethlehem is full.

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Both of my boys do Tae Kwon do in tauranga. Same patterns as TAGB in UK. If this is what your young man has been doing I would be glad to forward the details when I get back home.

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Hi

Our daughter is 18 now and on her way to Uni in Wellington. She attended Aquinas College at Pyes Pa for the last 3 years, and had a brilliant time with some lovely people. The school is not zoned, and pupils travel from Rotorua even. Don't worry if your child isn't sporty - all areas are well catered for. From our point of view it has a nicer feel to it than TGC - more homely.

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

:thumbup:Ethan is relatively new at Tae Kwondo but is keen to continue so please forward details to me it would be great to get him involved in this soon after arriving to help him settle in.

Do they shut down for the school hols do you know?

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Thanks snowball I will take a look at Aquinas for some reason I thought it was all boys....

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Hi there Nelly, sorry this has taken so long.

The contact for the Tauranga Tae Kwon Do that do the same patterns as the UK (or very similar for sure) is Christine and her contact number i will PM you with as i dont think i can put it on here ;)
She trains on Mondays 4.15-5.15pm at Otumotei Action centre, Windsor road.
Bellevue Primary School on Mondays and Wednesdays 7.45-8.45 (AM according to my info sheet)
Pillans Point School, Maxwell Road on Monday and Thursdays 5.40-7.10pm (this is the one we use)
There are two sister clubs run by two other trainers at Green Park School and Te Puna School.
She also runs a club at the Intermediate school for intermediate pupils only straight after school on Tuesdays.
Fees are around $35 per month. This is less that we were paying in the Uk and we can go as many times a week as we can without it costing anymore.
My youngest has only just started and is hoping to go for his yellow tag in November. The oldest is going for his red belt soon :fingerscrossed:
I have to say that whilst my oldest enjoyed the Tae Kwon do in the UK - it is taught so much more thoroughly here and his opinion is its much better.
There is also a club which runs at Selwyn Ridge in Welcome Bay by a chap called Garry Carpenter. This Tae Kwon Do is rather different from the UK rules and is called WTF Olympic instead of an ITF (one's north Korean and the other South) but if your young man was 'early' enough in his training and wanted to swap styles then it shouldnt be a problem.

Hope this helps.

Good luck with the moving

Psycho xx

Re: Primary and Secondary Schools Tauranga
 

Brilliant thank you x