Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori! Wishing us all a happy Māori New Year!

Kia ora koutou. Talofa. Kia Orana. Malo e lelei. Bula. Fakaalofa atu. Namaste and Kumusta. Greetings to everyone at LCŌ and our wider LCŌ community.

Matariki

I hope all of us have been aware of the recent weeks of Matariki. As our country officially recognises Matariki, we celebrate another milestone in our country's development towards being Aotearoa-New Zealand, a bi-cultural nation embracing multi-cultural communities. I use the marker of Matariki to recognise both the progress brought about through the steadfast endeavours and struggles of previous generations and the journey still ahead with all the determination and wisdom that will be needed for this. However, as a school teacher and principal, I have immense faith in the present generation - your children - who inspire me with faith and hope for the future of our nation. What promise they hold, growing the seeds of all the good things that they will do over their coming decades of this 21st century. 

Akakoa he iti, he pounamu. It may be small but it is still pounamu, it is still precious.

At the end of Term 2 in our final year on our present LCŌ site, we look forward to our return next year to Te Aratai College - Pathway to the Sea. As in Matariki, we can see the cycles of growth and development, and the navigational markers, for all our pathways and journeys.

The following article came from the Christchurch City Council newsletter. I include it here for a community-wide understanding of Matariki and what it signifies. 

The rise of Matariki in the winter skies above Aotearoa is an important time in the Māori calendar, as it signifies the start of the Māori new year. 

Historically, new year celebrations provided the opportunity for whānau to come together to acknowledge the year gone by, prepare and plan for the year ahead; to celebrate with kai, kōrero, ceremony and entertainment. 

For a time, these celebrations were only acknowledged and celebrated by iwi, but at the beginning of the 21st century a cultural renaissance occurred, making knowledge of this special time of the year an important part of New Zealand’s history. Today, everyone in Aotearoa has the opportunity to celebrate the unique places we live in, show respect for the land we live on, and to share and grow together through traditions that continue each year, with the support of kaupapa like Matariki Festival.

Te Aratai College: positive progress continues

The following repeats an article I wrote in the middle last term, itself a repetition of an article from the end of Term 1. I am doing this repetition so everyone has the best chance of understanding the wonderful things to come.

LHS-1954, LC-1997, LC at Ōtākaro-2019, Te Aratai College-2022

We are very fortunate to be partners with the Ministry of Education, our architects - Architectus, and our construction company - Southbase. Architectus and Southbase are the designers and builders of a number of prominent Christchurch buildings including the Central Bus Exchange and Tūranga, the central library.

Te Aratai College is founded on community values and aspiration, arising from the extensive 2016 consultation about what the community wanted for their new school. The key summary point from this community voice was:

The school should nurture individual excellence by providing varied opportunities to meet individual needs. It should foster a ‘love to learn’ culture that returns high levels of achievement and success at a cost that is accessible for all.

In Weeks 2-3 of Term 3 our school will again be out and about in the community - eg being at weekend markets, holding information evenings about the new school and articles in community newspapers. We look forward to continuing the many positive conversations already occurring about 2022 and our community’s newly rebuilt secondary school.

Finally, schools can be complicated places so if any member of our school whānau wishes to talk to us about anything, please contact your child's dean either directly or through the office.

I am also always available to meet and talk with whānau. At present, I have the pleasure of regularly meeting prospective families keen to learn more about Te Aratai College for a 2022 enrolment. Contacting me can also be arranged through the office or my direct email is en@linwoodcollege.school.nz and my direct dial is 982 0100 ext 839. My door is open.

Go well.

Ngā mihi nui – best wishes

Richard Edmundson

Tumuaki-Principal