From our Tumuaki / Principal

Tēnā koutou,

It has been awesome watching the Te Matatini Festival in Auckland. This festival happens every two years, although it didn’t run in 2021 due to Covid. The festival runs over four days, and 45 teams are competing this year, with the winners being crowned Toa Whakaihuwaka, the champions of Te Matatini. We have had the live stream from the festival playing in reception over the past few days, and watching the interest and enjoyment from ākonga and adults alike has been fabulous. You can watch the live stream from the festival here on TVNZ+, and here is the winning bracket from Ngā Tumanako from 2019.

This is also a perfect opportunity to introduce our new Kapa Haka tutor, Hemi Prime. Some of you may well know Hemi from other local schools and from our Kapa Haka festival last year, where he was up on stage with a number of his teams throughout the day. Hemi is a passionate and experienced advocate for kapa haka and te reo Māori, and we are delighted he will be joining us this year. Our beloved Papa Jack, who was our tutor last year along with his wife, Whaea Nina, will also still be involved with our ongoing mahi, too.  

In Term 1 Hemi will work with all ākonga across the school on Wednesdays. These kapa haka sessions will be introductory ‘taster’ sessions for everyone. Towards the end of Term 1 all students will be given the opportunity to opt into the performance kapa haka group. From Term 2 onwards Hemi will work with the performance group across the school, and all other ākonga will continue to have weekly kapa haka with their kaiako (teachers) within their own hubs. The performance kapa haka group will spend their time learning and practising their bracket (performance set) for the kapa haka festival that will happen later in Term 3.

I am loving hearing some new waiata being taught and enthusiastically sung across the school, and I can’t wait to see our kapa haka start next week.

Kia pai tō wiki, enjoy your week.

Ngā mihi nui, 

Urs Cunningham