Kia ora Whanau We are very excited to have secured a visit to the Orakei Marae on Wednesday, 22 November.

The school will visit the Marae and travel by bus to and from Orakei Marae. The children will spend the whole day at the Marae and must take their school bags with morning tea, lunch and a water bottle. The buses will be back at school by 2.30pm.

The cost is $35 per student and is payable on Kindo.

Our 2023 Strategic plan states:

To bring the language and the culture alive for our students, we engage with local Māori so that our students can experience Māori language, culture, and tikanga first-hand, with a particular emphasis on whakapapa, whanaungatanga and manaakitanga.

Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei are one of four hapū of Ngāti Whātua. As mana whenua of Tamaki Makaurau, Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei are the local hapū for Stanley Bay School. Stanley Bay School respects and acknowledges the authority of Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei as mana whenua. Stanley Bays' engagement with whakapapa acknowledges our role within the context of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and our school's history.

Stanley Bay will continue to engage with Te Taua Moana O Aotearoa (the Navy Marae) and will remain open and committed to working towards authentic engagement with Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei.

To my knowledge, the school has not visited Ōrākei Marae and therefore, we must visit the Marae that Stanley Bay School identifies with. We will also learn about the history of the land and the people who live or have lived there. Our staff have been encouraged to watch the following clips about the Marae and its history to share this knowledge in ways the children can understand. Sharon Hawke, a member of Ngāti Whātua, has made the 6 part documentaries. Here is the link to learn more about where we are going.

Most of our Board will be attending. Our adult-to-child ratios are such that we do not need many parents to come with us. However, we do welcome any parent to join us at the Marae. If you would like to go for the day, then you can meet us in the Marae carpark at 9.40am and wait for the buses to arrive, then join the school in the formal powhiri to welcome us on to the Marae. Please let the office know if you are coming by email to: office@stanleybay.school.nz This will help with the planning for the day.

We are all looking forward to this enriching experience.

We would appreciate payment and permission on Kindo.

Nga mihi