Term four at our kura means its hāngi time, and rain, hail, or shine, it was going ahead!

Last Tuesday the 20th, the Cobham community pulled together and put down a hāngi for 150 people. This can be quite a daunting task for an individual but with the support of some very dedicated and hardworking whānau, staff and students, the mountain becomes a molehill....even in the pouring rain and six-degree temperatures! We had been watching the forecast closely, hoping that things would change but the poor weather was determined to hang around. However, this did not deter the Cobham team! Braving the conditions, the pit was dug and the hāngi fire was (eventually) ablaze. At 5:45pm, the hāngi was lifted, served and enjoyed by many.

This preparation and sharing of kai is such a wonderful event to be involved in and beautifully combines the Māori values of whānaungatanga, aroha, mahitahi & manaakitanga. We could not have done it without the help of some very key people. A very special thanks to the parents: Yo, Matt, and Ren for their planning, preparation, equipment, expertise and hard work. Also, thank you to Mr Lane and some of our students for their blood, sweat & blister-inducing digging of the hangi pit, to office ladies for all there help with the money & orders, to all the students who helped with the food preparation, to the whānau that donated kai and to all the staff who jumped on board to help wherever and whenever needed. 

It is heartwarming to see how events just like this can unite our community and provide a unique learning opportunity for our ākonga.

Once again, the Cobham whānau has been very giving and helpful during a really busy time of year for you all and we appreciate it immensely!

Arohanui,

Veronica Noetzli and Raegan McGregor