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Just one week into the job of Ōrewa College principal, Wiri Warriner is radiating positivity and energy.
While acknowledging he is in “the honeymoon phase”, he knows there is work ahead to achieve his goal of the school being recognised as one of the country’s best.
“There should be no reason for local families to send their children off the Coast to college,” he says.
Wiri attended Ōrewa College when Kate Shevland was principal. His memories of that time are of leadership roles as a prefect and in rugby and kapa haka.
He learned Te Reo Māori from Whaia Tucker Herbert, a process that involved cassette tapes. He stopped taking those classes in Year 10 and there was a big gap before he reconnected with te ao Māori as part of the senior learning team at Massey High School.
“I was learning and teaching it at the same time,” he says.
Wiri’s mother is of Ngāti Whātua and Ngāti Porou descent, but didn’t grow up speaking the language, as Wiri’s nan prioritised the importance of fitting into a pākehā world.
His reconnection with te ao Māori has, therefore, had an impact, not only for Wiri but his whole whānau.
Most recently, Wiri was a deputy principal at Whangaparāoa College, where he also taught in the bilingual unit.
He has a health and PE teaching background and sport is his passion. Wiri says not only does he want to see high participation rates among students in sport, but he will be on the sidelines, cheering them on at game time.
As well as sport, he plans to grow opportunities and pathways for students, including vocational academies similar to the ones at Massey High School that can streamline students into work; improving academic achievement and strengthening things like performing arts and leadership opportunities.
Introducing “elective options” that allow students to follow their interests to a high standard is also on his to-do list.
He says his belief in the power of a good education is a result of seeing his parents leave their dairy farm and take up completely new employment and learning opportunities.
“Seeing them study as mature students showed me the value of education and the importance of hard work,” he says. “Dad became the CEO of a large mental health organisation and mum is a university professor.”
Brought up on Centreway Road in Ōrewa, Wiri still lives locally and says he is most excited to be involved not only in the school, but in the community, too.
“The community has put a lot into me – including groups like the HBC Youth Centre, Silverdale Rugby Club and Hibiscus Coast Raiders – and it is my duty of care to have a reciprocal impact,” he says.
