Avonhead School Rakipaoa - Pete Hay

Name: Pete Hay

School: Avonhead School Rakipaoa  

Programme title: Research at Willowbank

Region: Waitaha, Canterbury

Host: Willowbank Wildlife Reserve

Avonhead School Rakipaoa is strategically committed to developing scientifically literate students. They want their students to have experiential based opportunities to engage with the Nature of Science strand of the New Zealand Science Curriculum, in ways that are culturally meaningful to them. The school is dedicated to professional development to promote and develop science teaching at Avonhead. Pete plays an important role in this. The Science Teaching Leadership Programme (STLP) will provide Pete with the ongoing support and experiences to continue to lead an authentically sustainable pathway for scientific literacy growth for the students, staff and whānau at Avonhead School Rakipaoa.

Pete has worked at Avonhead Rakipaoa for 12 years and has been teaching since 2002. Pete has passionately led science at his kura for the last year. He has led a series of science professional development workshops with staff, created a kaitiaki crew of environmental student leaders and connected the school to the Enviro-schools programme. He has led science programmes at multiple levels studying our local awa and created a biodiversity plan for the school including planting and predator control.

The most important aspect of his work is connecting students, families and colleagues with their local environment. Pete has taught at all levels over his career, and has spent the last 3 years teaching year 7 and 8. Pete has spent the last year developing science teaching capability at Avonhead Rakipaoa, and will continue this role as a specialist science teacher. Pete enjoys the outdoors, especially tramping, and has a passion for conservation.

Pete is placed at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. Willowbank plays an important role in the National Kiwi Recovery Programme, ‘Operation Nest Egg’. Willowbank also regularly hosts a wide range of external researchers who wish to study critically endangered endemic species such as Kiwi, Kea, Kākā, Whio and Tuatara. Pete hopes to work with researchers studying:

• the gut microbiome and health of Haast Tokoeka.
• the behaviour and cognition of Kea.
• the behaviour of captive Kiwi in nocturnal houses.

He also hopes to observe and participate in the Kiwi Recovery Programme including hatching, captive rearing and release; and to understand the science underpinning the programme.    

Through the STLP, Pete hopes to experience the work scientist do in his local community first-hand. He hopes to build local connections and relationships and provide develop depth and rigour to his own professional practice so his students can see science is important, interesting, fun and relevant to their lives.