2018 has brought about some exciting new changes for Mataī House and, indeed, our school as a whole.

Pērā me Te Māngōroa i whakatūria i te rangi e Māui.

Pērā me te kaitiaki o ngā hēramana, arā, ko Ruamano.

Pērā me te taniwha, nāna ngā waka i whakaora ai.

He aua mako anō hoki mātou.

Ko ngā pūmanawa e maha o te whare Mataī.

Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui!

Like the majestic shark who was placed in the night sky by Māui.

Like Ruamano, the guardian of seafarers.

Like the legendary saviour and namesake of Te Arawa.

We too are sharks.

The many beating hearts of Mataī House.

Be strong, be brave, be resolute!

Nō reira,

Ki a kōutou, te whānau whānui a ngā whare e whā o te kura nei, tēnei te mihi aroha.

Firstly, we are absolutely thrilled to be in our new building, Karetū, which we share with Rimu House. These bright, warm, cozy new spaces just radiate good vibes and are being well utilised by both teachers and students. I am glad to say that our Mataī & Rimu kids have taken ownership of Karetū and are treating it with the care and respect that it rightly deserves.

To coincide with our new buildings and new kaupapa, it was our hope, as Deans, to fan the flames of school spirit and usher in a new season where we can rediscover, redirect and redefine our culture. This has resulted in each of the four Houses gaining a new name, logo and mascot.

I am proud to announce that we are the Mataī Mako – a name that symbolises and celebrates the strength and beauty of Aotearoa and all of her people. From the native bush covered mountain ranges to the depths of our surrounding oceans – where the land meets the sea – this is where our nation began and, from there, we have grown from strength to strength. In my opinion, the same can be said of Kaiapoi High School.

It has been a tremendous start to the year for Mataī House, as we pick up where we left off at the end of 2017 – at the top! However, it is only Term 1 and we must not be complacent, as we all know we can go from hero to zero in an instant, although I’m sure that our new House Captains will do their utmost to maintain our current standing.

With the depth and maturity of our Seniors – Holly Dragovich, Athena Merrick, Ashley Adams, Tyson Tongia, and Leyton Wright – and the fresh intensity of our Juniors – Emma Sewell, Melody Tongia, Tay Lafulafu, Kahu Jones, and Charlie Stokes – Mataī will once again be a formidable player this year. They have some big shoes to fill, but I have every confidence in each of their abilities and our dynamics as a team to uphold the traits of the mako, and fight to the bitter end.

“Kia mate ururoa tātou, kei mate-ā-tarakihi.”

“Let us die like great white sharks, not like tarakihi fish.”

Ergo, I look forward to another great year with some even greater people, in the greatest community there is. Kaiapoi, I’m proud to call you home.

Nā, Matua Remihana Emery - Matai Dean