He waka eke noa! We are all in this canoe together!

Tēnā tātou katoa! He mihi maioha ki te whānau whānui o tō tātou nei kura, te Kura Kōhine ki Otākou.

Our kapa haka, Wairua Pūhou was named by notable elder Alav Kapa (Ngāi Tahu), and has grown from strength to strength over the years. This year we are preparing for competition in the Southern regional championship,Te Hautonga Whakataetae Kapa Haka mō ngā Kura Tuarua Nō ngā Rohe o Murihiku/Otākou, which will be held in Murihiku in August.

We are fortunate to have one of our former students and Te Whare Wānanga o Aoteraoa kaiako of te reo Māori, Rinaria Hepi as our female tutor, while Matua Mac Te Ngahue is our rangatira whakahaere. Kapa haka is an important part of our school. It is an opportunity to learn Māori Perfoming Arts. We meet for practice at lunchtime and after school on Wednesdays. This weekend, we hold our first noho wānanga, held at school. Everyone is welcome to join our group, and we make a special effort to encourage and tautoko our younger students with our tuākana/tēina leadership framework.

Whare Isaac Sharland was awarded a Dr Vince Ham eFellowship in 2017. Her research investigated the benefits of kapa haka on teaching and learning. In this blog Whare explains how kapa haka can help students develop a positive cultural identity resulting in increased confidence, engagement, and achievement. https://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-resources/NZC-Online-blog/Kapa-haka

“Kapa haka is much more than a 20 minute competitive bracket. It is a catalyst for change that has a fundamental link to, and is a powerful medium of Māori identity, culture, and pride. Kapa haka plays a large role in the revitalisation of the Māori language and Māori cultural values. It enhances positive well-being by encouraging a sense of belonging, providing a "safe haven" in which to practice te reo me ōna tikanga, whilst reinforcing social collaboration and cohesion.”

Excitement for kapa haka fans is mounting as we count down the days to the world championships, Te Matatini Herenga Waka Herenga Tangata Festival 2023. This four day festival is the pinnacle of Māori performing arts. This year it is held in Tāmaki-makaurau, with 50 teams competing. Our Ao Māori classes will be avidly following the livestream. https://tematatini.co.nz/