The Whakanui Ahurea Kāhui Ako Cultural Festival took place on 15 August and was an amazing opportunity for schools across our Kāhui Ako to celebrate culture and build tuakana/teina relationships between ākonga.

This was the third year the event has run, and there were over 900 student performers who were supported by their friends and whānau. WGC and WC’s Te Haeata Awatea performed, and also largely ran the mihi whakatau process to welcome the primary ākonga, making sure the Kapa Haka groups from Karori Normal, Karori West Normal, Kelburn Normal, Wadestown Primary, Brooklyn Primary, Northland Primary and Mākara Model schools felt accepted and encouraged when it was their turn to walk on stage.

Many of these tuakana were already familiar to the primary teina as WGC students including Eve Simmonds, Korimako Dale-McLachlan, Breeana Fifield, Sara Collins, Lottie Roberts, Maddy Roberts, Rosa McGann and Sophie Roy travelled out to Mākara Model School earlier in the term to teach them a waiata and help the MMS students prepare for the festival. Year 13 student Tracy Bailey did a great job on the day as MC, ably entertaining the crowd and building a whole Kāhui spirit among the students.

WGC’s Poly Club, WC’s Pacific Performance Group, the WGC Asian Performance Club, and the WC Lion Dance Group also performed. “WGC students did the school proud,” said teacher James Weston. “The performances were of high quality and provided great examples of groups for the primary school students to aspire to joining when they reach secondary school.”