Swanson School House Names

Our school houses (whanau) are named after mountains in New Zealand.  Using mountains for our whanau names encourages connections with our whenua, our land.  Using mountains located in both the North and South Island encourages children to consider more than the local community that they live in.  It encourages them to think on a wider scale and fosters making connections with not just the land but other people.

 Red House - Ruapehu

Ruapehu is an active volcano and red is the colour of fire and heat.

Blue House - Tarawera

Tarawera sits among the the lakes in Rotorua and blue represents the colour of water.

Green House - Aoraki (Mt Cook)

Aoraki is famous for its flora and green represents the colour of vegetation.

Yellow House - Taranaki (Mt Egmont)

According to legend, on a clear day Taranaki symbolises aroha with the yellow light of sunshine.