Throughout Term 1, a fantastic new lunchtime initiative has been operating to help Year 7 students connect and make new friends. Year 13 students Erin Moore and Alana Aleksich, who have spearheaded the programme, explain the thinking behind Awhi Awhi.

Starting a new school can be very difficult. Especially if you come from a small school where very few friends, or maybe none at all, go to the same new school as you. For many students starting at Aquinas, particularly those in Year 7, making friends can be extremely daunting. This is where the Awhi Awhi initiative sprung from.

Awhi Awhi (Te Reo Māori for a hug or embrace) was first created by Languages HOD Mrs Guise, who then reached out and brought Alana Aleksich and me, Erin Moore, into the mix.

Together, we planned out some key activities with Student Executive Committees such as the Sports Committee run by Darcy Gilbert, to create places where new students could come together, meet new people and make new connections. Lunchtimes for the first few weeks of term would be filled with games, arts, and fun activities for people to participate in.

One of the most popular activities was ‘Chalk and Talk.’ A few senior students brought out a bucket of chalk and name tags and decorated the school’s courtyard with beautiful chalk drawings. Not only does this connect students with similar-minded peers but it also connects them with senior students, creating vertical relationships.

Over the past few weeks of term, Awhi Awhi has had a great amount of involvement and participation which has been wonderful to see. Being able to see students getting out of their comfort zones, talking to new people, and trying new things has been very rewarding and encouraging.

When Awhi Awhi first started, a Year 7 student walked up to me after the lunchtime activity and said, “You guys are doing this again tomorrow, right? It’s so fun because I’ve never been able to do this!”

It’s heartwarming to hear students appreciate the effort we have put into Awhi Awhi. We will definitely be continuing this initiative for a very long time to come.