School gets ‘freaky’ for reading

For any of you wondering ‘where the readings at?' look no further than the catchy and foot tapping tunes coming from Arataki School.

This week, pupils and staff have become overnight celebrities after enlisting the help of New Zealand hip hop giant Savage to help get more children into reading.


Arataki School Year 4 pupils Tyler Balks, Jakhova Wharepapa, Zalee Davies-Biddle and Matamitchell Rikirangi-Benare are proud of their re-make of Savage's ‘Freaks' song. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

Led by room four teacher and literacy leader Rachel Allen, the school re-made Savage and Timmy Trumpet's hit ‘Freaks' into a song about reading after starting ‘Panui Arataki' - a before-school reading class in term one.

Reading related lyrics include: 'The kids and the teachers are arriving at the door. Then I remember to drop my book bag on the floor” and 'See we do this for a purpose just to keep our brains learning and this will keep our imaginations burning”.

And it has the backing of Savage himself after being approached by the school to do their own version of the song.

In a statement on his Facebook page Savage says he supports the video '1000 per cent” to promote reading within schools.

'I take my hat off to teachers that go the extra mile to capture the attention of our young ones and make learning fun and using what's popular to get the kids excited about education,” reads the post.

'To the staff at Arataki School, keep up the good work.”

The post already has more than 2500 likes and 176 shares on the musician's Facebook page.

Arataki School principal Shelley Blakey says the video (below), featuring six-year-olds from room four and school staff is another avenue helping to promote literacy and reading – a vital part to all school education.

Rachel and her class used the video as a mini production project, putting the lyrics together and producing the video after having fun dancing around the school.

Plus everyone 'loves” the song at the school.

'OMG they love the song,” says Shelley. 'That's the thing - Rachel hooked into what the kids are into.”

‘Panui Arataki' runs from 8.15-8.45am every Monday to Thursday and is a chance for children to read to adults before school. It also benefits in settling the children before the start of class, adds Shelley.

'It's just fantastic,” she says, 'as we are getting support from the community with adults coming in from the retirement village down the road as well as the teachers.

'It's becoming a real nice hub in the library. It's really relaxing.”

Released last August, Timmy Trumpet and Savage's song topped the singles chart in New Zealand, was a top three hit in Australia, and charted in other countries such as France and the Netherlands.

It was certified quadruple platinum in Australia for shipments exceeding 280,000 copies and triple platinum in NZ for sales exceeding 45,000 copies.

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