Designing, making and creating during Marae Week at Tahuna.

Year 7 Pupils designed their own 3D paper Pounamu in Visual Art. Pounamu is the Māori word for the NZ jade stone which is found on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand and has been used in tools. weapons and jewellery. The symbol of matau (fish hook) is very popular and is said to represent prosperity and safe travel over water.

Ocean voyaging was the theme of a joint Hard Materials - Design Technology project. Students built boats modelled on waka hourua (double-hulled waka) made from craddy sticks (the dry stalk of the harakeke, also known as korare). They then made models of Pacific Islands and of Dunedin, with sea in between for the boats to travel. Some children extended the voyaging theme into interstellar travel. Unlike normal tech classes, where students make personal projects to take home, each class built on the work of the one before.

Students in Food Technology made dough for Pararoa Parai and also a raspberry chia seed jam to serve with it. Students enjoyed this delicious fried bread!