Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Kia ora koutou e te whanau,

10 hours each week, for the past five weeks a dedicated group of boys have rehearsed to put on an 11 minute set of song and dance at  Canterbury PolyFest 2023. They have been at school in the evenings, early in the morning and on weekends.

On Saturday 18 March their hard work finally paid off as they performed to a massive audience in North Hagley Park, representing not only St Bede’s College but their culture, ancestors and whanau with pride.

We need to say a massive thank you the parents, friends and whanau who have supported this group and helped them get to this point. Not only have you transported boys to and from rehearsals, but when we set up the online food calendar we had no idea how much food would end up coming through those doors! You have kept the boys spirits high and I know they have appreciated it immensely – evidenced by the fact that there were never any left overs!

We would also like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to Tonia Noa Siaosi. You have been the absolute driving force behind this group for the last four years and we truly couldn’t have done it without you.

Finally, thank you to the boys. Not only for your mahi but also for the way you welcomed students into this group from all backgrounds and year levels. You have all given it 100% and we are incredibly proud of you.