How appropriate that our production, 'Journey of a Lifetime' coincides with Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Maori Language Week)

Kia ora koutou 

We all have varying levels of skill and confidence in using Te Reo, but you might be surprised to know that you speak more Māori than you realise. There will be around seven Māori words spoken or written in every 1000 words of New Zealand English, including the names of places and people. That may not sound like a lot, but it is relatively high in a global sense and it makes New Zealand unique among post-settler societies, historians say.  This article is worth a read.

He aroha whakatō, he aroha puta mai.
If kindness is sown then kindness you shall receive.

We love this whakatauki (Māori saying) because we have been focusing so much on kindness at Amberley School this year. Aside from the tradition reo (language) it's pretty cool to see some contemporary uses emerging to. Te Reo is very much alive and still evolving. Check out these modern phrases:

Ki a au tō pūhihiko? Kua mate taku waea. 
Can I borrow your charger? My phone is dead

E mara, he aha te kupuhipa o te ahokore? 
Bro, what’s the Wi-Fi password?

Haramai tētahi āhua! He hono iarere ēnā taringa hiko? 
Mean! Are they bluetooth headphones?

Our production delves into some Māori myths and legends as part of the journey from the 'Mountain to the Sea' and our children have picked up a great deal of Te Reo from the stories, names, places and waiata (songs).

Production on Thursday 

As I type this, I'm watching a whole school run through of our production 'Journey of a Lifetime' with a big smile on my face. Our children will all have a chance to shine on stage on Thursday in one of two performances. By now you should have your tickets. All the information you need has been sent home in the class newsletters.

You will note there isn't a lot of classroom content in the newsletter this week - this is because there has been a massive focus on 'The Arts' and preparation in every class.

Our children (and teachers!) will be pretty tired after Thursday night, so we invite you to take advantage of a later start on Friday morning. There is an optional 11am start for any children that need that extra sleep in.

We are looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday for our show. 

Reporting

Amongst the busyness of this term, our teachers have been writing reports for your children. They will go home on the last day of this term, and you will have the opportunity to meet with the teachers early next term.

Hosting a family from China

The Hurunui District is always looking at ways of strengthening their relationship with it's sister district in China. Next year we are looking at hosting some international students at Amberley School for 3-5 weeks. If you are interested in hosting a family (probably one adult and one child) in your home, please let me know!