What a term! I have stepped joyously into the Te Reo role this year and we are humming along. So what does Te Reo look like at Raphael House?

Each hour long Te Reo session begins with a karakia, Whakataka te Hau. Each class has their own whakataukī which we recite. The students in class 3 and above then volunteer to speak their own or school pepeha, individually or in a pair. Then we sing. The tamariki are hearing pūrākau/ creation stories in Te Reo and then re-telling them through creative response - drama, wax modelling, drawing, puppetry, or writing. 

Te Āti Awa perspective has been sought by signing up with the Kura Ahurea programme which supports kura and kaiako with a kete of local knowledge and the sharing of ideas. The teachers in Classes 1 - 7 remain in the classroom for Te Reo, as part of their professional development, and we work alongside each other to give the students maximum one to one opportunity. There have also been some after school staff Te Reo sessions.

Across the School we are working to slowly build up each level of Te Aho Arataki Marau mō te Ako i Te Reo Māori - Kura Auraki (Curriculum Guidelines for Teaching and Learning Te Reo Māori in English-medium Schools.) While it differs slightly for each age level most Raphael House students are operating at Taumata 1, with opportunity to extend themselves through extra home play (formerly homework!) if they wish. 

We are also making strong connections with Te Rā Steiner School in Raumati South and have been learning from their te reo kaiako, Papa Rongo's, wisdom. With Matua Rangi's leave of absence Irene, Vanya and I are working together and have created a short Upper School kapahaka session that runs before Classes 4-7's Tuesday morning session. We have been invigorating familiar waiata and including some new ones, adding some poi and haka for the Upper School brought across from our Kāpiti sister school. 

Looking ahead to the June Matariki celebrations in Term 2, we will be holding a Matariki noho. if you are interested in being involved with the organisation of this please get in touch with Irene or myself.  Ngā mihi mahana, Whaea Karen