Ko Hikurangi te maunga, ko Waiapu te awa, ko Horouta te waka, Ko te Tu whakairiora te tipuna

I began my life in Te Ika-a-Maui and then as a teenager my parents decided to make the journey south towards beautiful Otautahi. This was the beginning of my language journey and the start of my discovery  of Te reo Rangatira. It was here in Waitaha that I learnt about my whakapapa and the history of my ancestors.

 In my role as Across School lead I have been given an opportunity to further my own understanding of the research that has been done so far in this area.  I have been part of a ropu that have identified programs that have been successfully implemented throughout our community and I am able to draw on this experience of such programs as He Kakano and Talanoa. These initiatives have been designed to improve outcomes for Maori and Pasifika students.

By researching and listening to the experts I have been able to identify strong models of practice that are being used and modified to support Maori and Pasifika learners and then look at ways we can share this best practice across our community.