Broadgreen's Room 19 class visited Nayland College this week to gift beautifully handcrafted poi toa that students have made during their Healthy Active Learning sessions run by Sport Tasman.

It all started when Miss Jeffrey wanted to find some poi toa to use with her Physical Education & Health classes at Nayland College. At the same time, Fergus Knight from Sport Tasman, was working with Broadgreen Intermediate classes through the Healthy Active Learning programme. The class were making poi toa for themselves, and traditionally, when you are making something from harakeke, it is appropriate tikanga, to gift your first one. So, Fergus offered to help the classes make a set to gift as a taonga for Nayland College. It also coincides Broadgreen's term one value of 'manaakitanga' (the process of showing respect, generosity and care).

On Wednesday this week, Room 19, with their teacher Mr Connelly, brought the set over, and Zara Coffey spoke on behalf of Broadgreen.

"Nayland College, as you are our tuakana school, we heard your teacher was interested in poi toa. We decided to make these taonga for you as a symbol of manaakitanga from us to you. We hope they bring you as much opportunity and enjoyment as they have brought to our school."

After Zara's speech, the class sang a waiata to the Miss Jeffrey's PE class. 

Mr Connelly, the class teacher, said "Our focus this term is manaakitanga... so it's like, how can we be that tuakana teina with the schools? So, as our tuakana, if you're sending kids over here, how can we manaaki Nayland College? So we do that through a koha, or a gift."

(Tuakana Teina is a Māori concept referring to the relationship between an older sibling (Tuakana) and a younger sibling (Teina).

In talking with Summer and Inola from Room 19, they described the process of making the poi, including the need to ensure that the braid is done really tight and that the filling on the inside is really tight too. 

Both Summer and Inola are looking forward to attending Nayland College one day, and they said it felt "nice" and "pretty special" knowing they were making the poi to gift to our school.

On behalf of our PE students, and any other students who will have the opportunity to use the poi toa, a massive thank you to Broadgreen Intermediate and to Fergus Knight for showing such beautiful manaakitanga in gifting us this incredible taonga.