It was the 30th Anniversary of the opening of the first Rūaumoko Marae on the 4th of December, and on Friday the 2nd of December the school had our celebration of the beautiful Marae that stands proudly on our Archibald Road site. Wow!!! Ka mau te wehi!!! What an amazing day this was.

A talented and committed group of students supported by a great team of staff had worked hard over the last six months to bring together a fitting celebration for the Marae and the Māori Deaf Community.

After a pōwhiri to welcome our manuhiri, we shared kai and then heard from kaumātua Whiti Ronaki and Residential Youth Worker (and former student) Eric Matthews share their memories and a slide show of photos over the years.

We were especially proud of our Turi Māori senior students who presented two projects they’ve been working on since coming together at a noho in September. One group has been creating a documentary on the history of Rūaumoko and shared a four minute trailer which left us all wanting more! We can’t wait to see the finished product in 2023.

Another group shared the scale model of Rūaumoko that they had built in Minecraft as an educational resource for current and future students. This innovative work grew out of an idea from E-Learning Designer and Developer Nathan Martin working in collaboration with Minecraft for Education specialists ImpactED. We’ve all been inspired by the success of this project in connecting our learners to te ao Māori through digital technology. We can’t wait to see what culturally rich learning opportunities will grow from this kaupapa in the future.

Our amazing Kapahaka group, Te Rōpu o Ngāti Turi gave a stunning kapahaka performance, finishing with a Deaf haka that they had developed themselves which honours their dual Deaf and Māori identities. A spontaneous response from a member of the Māori Deaf Community created a spine-tingling and emotional moment for everyone present. I was then honoured to have the students thank me for teaching them Kapahaka over the last two terms and was very emotional as they stood firm on their Turangawaewae and honoured me with a haka. Seeing how far they have come in their knowledge and confidence in their Māori Deaf identity is gift that I treasure.

A celebratory atmosphere carried us throughout the day which was attended by staff, students and valued community members. Our incredible IT staff in both Auckland and Christchurch livestreamed it for those who couldn’t attend in person on the day.

Ngā mihi nui to the team of students and staff who worked so hard to make this a special day for all, and for Rūaumoko. An awesome example of mahitahi, ako, tuakana-teina, manaakitanga and Māori student success.

We are looking forward to seeing how our inspiring young people will shape Deaf Education and New Zealand society in the coming years.

Mā te huruhuru, ka rere te manu – Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly.

Ngā mihi maioho

Kathie Rifle
Māori Strategic Lead