Hero photograph
 
Photo by Janine Laumua

"Halahala ki vavau, kae ke mau ki pale o Tokelau"

Filisione Koloamatangi —

"To plan for the future is to understand the past."

Te Vaiaho o Te Gagana Tokelau was the final Pasifika language we acknowledged and celebrated here at Mana College. The theme was "Halahala ki vavau, kae ke mau ki pale o Tokelau" which means "To plan for the future is to understand the past." The theme connects to the overall theme for this year’s Pacific language weeks ‘sustainability’ and the launch of the UNESCO Decade of Indigenous Languages. We endeavor to strengthen and to celebrate all Pasifika cultures at Mana College through performance, special assemblies, language classes in the junior school and general fun events such as quizzes and mufti-days.

See picture of our Year 9 Pasifika Experience class learning the basics of the Tokelauan Fatele. Our students also completed a domino mix and match activity related to Tokelau.

This year we have hosted two Pasifika community Talanoa and the purpose behind these evenings was to connect our Pasifika community back to Mana College. Talanoa is an open dialogue where everyone involved has an equal voice, whether you are a parent, student, staff member or a member of the wider community. We encourage our parents of Pasifika students to engage in our events and to provide feedback as to how we can better support our Pasifika students. Our long-term plan is to establish a strong Pasifika presence in all facets of Mana College life. Improving attendance and achievement will be at the forefront of our efforts. We are looking forward to building on all that has been established this year and also working alongside our Pasifika Parents focus group to formulate a plan and make decisions. 

On behalf of the Pasifika team here at Mana College we would like to wish the seniors all the best for their exams coming up and to those that are moving on we hope you continue to flourish in every area of your lives.


Faafetai tele lava.

F Koloamatangi - Pasifika Dean

R Silva - Pasifika Liaison