We hope you have enjoyed reading about other people's reo journeys from different corners of our school community. And that they ignite your curiosity and maybe move you to take up a step further in your own reo journey. According to maramataka, Māhuru ends on 26th September.

Asking ourselves what our role is in our Tiriti Partnership and what does it mean to hold the mana of a language, or a culture, or a group of people... or all peoples for that matter! This should not be a once a year activity, but these events are there so we can focus our attention, renew our commitment and have the discussions that need to be had to move our understanding a bit further and maybe dare take a conscious step.

Today we finish our Mahuru Māori time with an Upper School Reo Journey story. Mario Gude is our Woodwork Teacher and Pastoral Dean and a member of the Wider Leadership Team at our kura.  Mario is also a school parent. Enjoy the read!

When did you start your reo journey?  When I was little, growing up in Heretaunga, I remember listening to the waiata of Canon Rangi Ehu and Inia Te Wiata on the record player. At school I attended Taikura and learned reo and kapa haka from the age of 7 through to 15.I started my learning proper at Te Kupenga o te Mātauranga, now Massey University, in 1992 when I was 20 years old.

Why did you want to learn Te Reo?        Around this age I learned that I whakapapa to Muriwhenua; that as a Māori boy adopted into a Dutch family, it was time to explore my roots through learning reo. That propelled me to find my birth family some years later.                      How did you go about it?        I enrolled in my level 1 papers including reo, tikanga, and kapahaka. The part that has stayed with me the most was noho Marae including 2am wake up calls to speak, learn or perform. From there it was on to Level 2 and then level 3 papers, culminating in full immersion in my final year. I have subsequently lost much of my speaking through 25 years of little practise but am easing into it again with baby steps.                          Any words of encouragement?        It is normal to feel whakamā or embarrassed when adjusting to speaking reo. Forgive the All Blacks moto but get comfortable with being uncomfortable…… use kupu or reo phrases in a written or verbal communication every morning and afternoon if using reo is your choice.                                                          Mahuru goals?         To work alongside Upper School Student Leaders and volunteers to run games such as Kei a Wai and Tākaro with the lower school students. A bit of tuakana-teina goes a long way.