So, let's have a peak at what Puna Waimarie has been doing since returning to Te Pā on Monday 25 May...

Several smiling faces stood at the entrance to Pūmanawa to welcome back pononga onsite to Te Pā o Rākaihautū. 

Whaea Mackie, Whaea Keziah, Kōkā Ahi and Matua Tohi waited eagerly upstairs in Waihora and Muriwai, to meet and greet the Puna Waimarie pononga who had returned to Te Pā. The pononga had a great week doing a variety of online and face-to-face learning. 

Hākui Ripeka, Hākui Terina, Kōkā Horowai, Whaea Ana and pononga doing Te Whare Pā Wānanga stayed connected with those who were learning at Te Pā via Zoom. 

Hākui Terina, Kōkā Horowai and Whaea Ana continued to develop content for Te Papa Kainga o Te Puna Waimarie website, where pononga both at Te Pā or at home, have been able to access online learning using a variety of platforms such as Google Classroom, Matific, Study Ladder and Typing Tutor. 

Kōkā Horowai and Whaea Ana were back at Te Pā week two, much to the delight of those Waimarie pononga who had returned to Te Pā. Hākui Ripeka and Hākui Terina continued to support pononga doing Te Whare Pā Wānanga, and the Kaiārahi teaching onsite too. Hākui Terina created nine sets of slides about Te Kāhui o Matariki with whakapapa, and information to learn about each of the stars of Matariki.

Kōkā Horowai and Hākui Terina created slides for the pononga to help them to put together their speeches for Ngā Manu Kōrero, which the pononga have been working on both at home with whānau and at Te Pā with the Kaiārahi. 

Puna Waimarie had a beautiful send off for Elena Singh, who has moved to a school closer to her home in Rangiora. While we have loved having Elena, we wish her all the very best as she continues her life journey, and look forward to seeing Elena when she visits. 

The highlight of week 3 was Friday Wheels Day. Kōkā Horowai and Whaea Ana introduced this event as an alternative to Winter Sports. It was such a hit with the pononga, Friday Wheels Day will continue until the end of this term, weather permitting. 

With the announcement of Level 1 on Monday 8 June, saw the return of Hākui Ripeka to the Puna. It has been so great to be able to hug our pononga again. 

Roll on week 10. Let's hope the weather is fine next Friday for another fun Wheels Day. Keep practicing those Manu Kōrero. Kia pai te wā whakatā.