School programme transports Kiwi students to Paris
A local Le Quesnoy primary school is beaming into classrooms across New Zealand as part of an education programme created by Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games starting in August.
Our team at Te Arawhata helped to organise the students of Ecole Chevray make a video for Seeing is Believing – The Paralympic Education Programme which takes Kiwi students on a journey with the Kiwi Paralympic Team through the City of Light.
In the video included in the programme, the students from Ecole Chevray take Kiwi kids on a quick guided tour of Le Quesnoy, making special reference to Te Arawhata and the All Blacks, before sharing a cute and heartfelt welcome message to the New Zealand team.
“Kia ora! We know there’s a rugby team, the All Blacks and the haka. We’re really please to welcome the New Zealand paralympic team in Paris. We wish you the best.”
The video ends with the students singing the New Zealand National Anthem in Te Reo Māori and English.
Available to all primary schools throughout New Zealand, the programme aims to change perceptions of disability from the perspective of Paralympians, Para athletes and the Paralympic Movement. The interactive story follows Violet and Charlie – two NZ Paralympic Team supporters – on a journey through Paris.
Kasey Wilson, PNZ Education Lead, says: “The purpose of the Paris specific resource is to create a connection for learners in classrooms to our NZ Paralympic Team, and what they will experience when they go to the Paralympic Games.
“The resource builds understanding and awareness of travelling with a disability, including accessibility needs. A fun challenge that learners will experience is comparing their local communities to Paris, a city in another part of the world.
“It’s a nice combination of celebrating the Parisian culture – language, attractions and food – that our Paralympians will hear, see and taste, and linking back to our own New Zealand culture. Students will get to compare how tall the Eiffel Tower is to Auckland’s Sky Tower, or how accessible Paris is compared to their own towns and cities in New Zealand.”
Watch the video here: