Our Milford School Kapa Haka rōpu attended the Onepoto Festival at the end of November. There had been a lot of preparation in the lead up to it with practices during the children's breaks and additional uniforms being stitched behind the scenes as kindly coordinated by Tracey Smith. The morning of the performance saw many wonderful parents offer their time to come in to assist with face stenciling, hair clips, handing out headbands and necklaces, pinning of uniforms, taking photos and calming the nerves of so many.

We were blessed to have Anna Swanson kindly take photos of our tamariki so that their whānau could have some digital memories, particularly if they were not able to attend on the day; thank you for offering your time for that Anna! The children were so excited to be part of the atmosphere there and so were all of the other 64 groups in attendance. 

The day's schedule got a bit off track and there was a time where we thought that we may not be able to perform and make it back to school on time but thank goodness it all worked out, even with our bus driver Peter coming to watch us perform on the outdoor stage. 

Thank you to the children who have given so much this year to the group, not only in their performance capabilities but also in their wairua (spirit) and willingness to take on new kupu (words) and learning each week. To our Year 6 members, you will be missed but I know that you are leaving us well equipped to continue on your adventures with fond memories of your time here at Milford School.

To finish with our Milford School whakatauki- Mēnā ka whakapono koe, ka tutuki koe! If you believe it, you can achieve it!