He wā whakahirahira – A special time for connection, reflection and celebration

Kia ora e te whānau,

It’s not long now until we come together to celebrate Matariki – both here at Kōnini and across Aotearoa. This is one of my absolute favourite events of the year, and this year is even more special because of the incredible mahi we’ve done as a kura around our school pepeha.

Over the past term, we’ve been working closely with Te Kawerau ā Maki to create a pepeha that is truly localised and unique to us here at Kōnini. Tamariki and kaiako have been diving deep into learning about each part of the pepeha, and how it connects us to our whenua, our people, and our place in the world.

On Matariki night, our whole school will be involved in sharing this special pepeha with you. It’s a moment not to be missed!

What you need to know:

• All students are asked to attend and take part in our Matariki evening.

• The celebration will begin with a performance from our Kapa Haka Roopu. This will be followed by a whole school performance, where each team will share a component of the school pepeha.

• Classrooms will be open, showcasing the amazing learning our tamariki have been doing around Matariki and Pepeha.

• There will be warming soup (please bring your own mug!), sausages on the BBQ, and sweet treats to enjoy.

• Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more details – including requests for volunteers to help with sausage sizzles and baking.

So please pop the date in your calendar now – Wednesday 18th June – and rug up warm for an evening of connection, culture and celebration.

Ngā mihi nui,

Kahli Oliveira