Ratapiko Kapa haka performance by Lisa Hill

Tautoko teachers and tamariki

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Classes with VLN Primary can continue over years, building skills, knowledge and relationships. Ratapiko School and Koka Jules is a great example of this with kapa haka.

Ratapiko have been learning kapa haka with Koka Jules and VLN Primary for several years, and each year they add new waiata to their kete. This year they joined VLN Primary for semester two but their 30 minutes in Zoom was only a small part of the mahi they put in. 

Image by: Lisa Hill, Ratapiko School


Their staff, especially principal and teacher Lisa Hill, learn alongside the tamariki so they can lead their own practices and create a bracket (set of songs) that is uniquely their own.

As eTeachers, we provide the ingredients, demonstrate how to mix and cook, but it's the teachers and tamariki at school who bake and ice the cake ready for others to enjoy. Ratapiko performed their bracket at their local kapa haka festival in Taranaki to whānau and other kura in the area.

For Koka Jules, 

“Watching their performance hit me in my heart, my manawa, and I just cried. That’s what we’re all about with VLN, working with the teachers so they can teach their kids and make it their own. Ae, we provide the content but just as important is giving teachers the confidence to take that content into their own hands”