Mihi Whakatau

Over 260 new students, staff and whānau joined us on Tuesday morning as we began the school year with our mihi whakatau. 

Happy, smiling, and a few nervous faces gathered in the sunshine as Whaea Niki, Kaikaranga performed the Karanga | Call, a welcome safe pathway onto the school grounds. This is a spiritual call and a sacred tradition.  Ariana Batstone the Kaiwhakautu, a Parent Representative on the Board of Trustees accepted the call and responded. 

The ceremony then began with a welcome from our tumuaki Andy England followed by a waiata, Te wai tuku kiri from the tāngata whenua | hosts. New staff member Assistant Principal, Gavin Cate then replied on behalf of the manuhiri | guests and they then sang their waiata, Tūtira Mai.

With covid still lingering in the community the traditional hongi was replaced with an "air hongi" by the assembled crowd. Iroquois Ross represented the student leaders and student voice with a welcome speech specifically to the new students. The ceremony concluded with a karakia by new Year 7 student Leon Brostow before a shared kai.