Scene 1

“Meet the Kereama family. Dad Doug, Mum Tiana and their son Andre – Dre`. Doug, who is Pākehā, met mum Tiana who is from a Maori when they went to school together in Hamilton. They fell in love and 5 years ago ‘Dre was born. Now ‘Dre is about to enroll for his first year at school.”

Scene 2

“When ‘Dre graduates from high school it will be the year 2028. We have little knowledge of what the world will look like then, let alone what employment skills he will need. How ‘Dre develops over the next 13 years will determine how he handles the world when he graduates.”

Scene 3

“Traditionally by the time he graduated, he would have been to a minimum of three different schools and have had the responsibility for his learning shared by over 30 different teachers. Each school, and each teacher, has their own style of teaching and learning agenda. ‘Dre will be expected to fit within their box.”

Scene 4

“Statistically speaking, there is a strong possibility that by his 7th year in school, ‘Dre will find himself disengaged from his educational journey. Compounding factors in-clude not achieving early success, a culturally unsafe and unresponsive environment, and a lack of meaningful relationships within the school environment.”

Scene 5

“‘Dre doesn’t need another average school. Because ‘Dre is not an average student. He is full of potential, competent and capable of being a high achiever. That is why ‘Dre needs EPIC - a school like no other. EPIC is a culturally responsive school build on the foun-dation of strong, caring relationships.”

Scene 6

“At EPIC it is recognized that you cannot separate the whānau from the child. This is why ‘Dre’s enroll-ment will happen in his home, with his whānau. His Individual Learning Plan will be developed and established alongside a Whānau Learning Plan. ‘Dre will experience continuity of care, staying with the same learning approach and culturally responsive environment for his entire educational journey. ‘Dre and his family will be able to build strong relationships with peers and school staff.”

Scene 7

“In this culture ‘Dre engages with authentic problems and real purpose. He learns how to succeed. He learns how to design and to innovate. He takes ownership over what and how he is learning. He engages with other people in school, in the local community and the world. His dreams and visions to make the world a better place are fostered and encouraged.”

Scene 8

“At EPIC powerful learning happens. The intersectional nature of classroom and practice, of arts and science, of knowledge and imagination, of skills and character brings together different disciplines to allow ‘Dre to reach his entire educational po-tential.”

Scene 9

“‘Dre has a bright future. He deserves a school that is responsive to his unique make-up as an individual and as a whānau member. This is why ‘Dre needs to be enrolled at Epic - a school like no other.”