Every year Matahui School holds their popular Matahui Boat Day, and it is returning once again on Monday to Ōmokoroa .

'This event is held at the safe and shallow location of Ōmokoroa Domain and the whole school participates in the day,” says a Matahui School spokesperson.

The first ever Matahui Boat Day, which was the brain-child of former Matahui teacher Brian
Miller, was held in 1989.

'Brian is an educationalist extraordinaire, a very strong advocate of hands-on learning for
children.

'Today Boat Day is a very unique experience and an enjoyable family day.”

The school children are divided into groups of mixed ages and abilities. These groups rotate around different activities such as sailing in Optimists boats, kayaking, Beach Olympics, and tubes.

'Boat Day is such a lot of fun, but this is not the main reason behind it. Everything we do at Matahui
School is underpinned by our school philosophy.”

One of the principles children learn during Boat Day is to take responsible risks.

'For many, the activities can be a little scary at first and it is delightful to watch children grow in confidence and self-esteem as they learn that with support and encouragement while in a safe environment, they can master a challenge and succeed.”

For those more confident children, they are learning about boundaries for risk-taking.

'A kayak or Optimist will capsize if you get too risky – a valuable lesson. Boat Day activities offer a number of opportunities to learn other skills too such as problem-solving, being a team player, persistence, participating and contributing.

'They will also learn first-hand about a variety of science concepts such as sinking, floating and sailing principles.

'We encourage them to transfer these lessons into all they do at school. We want children to gain confidence in taking a risk, to be creative, to offer suggestions and problem-solve, and to try new things.”

Matahui School is an independent school nestled in a rural setting, close to Katikati in the Western
Bay of Plenty.

'At Matahui School we provide a stimulating environment where learning is fun and engaging, and students can build resilience to face the future. We cater for students from years 1 to 8 and provide individualised learning through small class sizes.”

Matahui Boat Day will be held on Monday March 7 2022 at Ōmokoroa Domain from 9am to 3pm.