Noa’ia! Kia orana! Ni sa bula! Mālō e lelei! Faka’alofa lahi atu! Fakatalofa atu! Gude! Talofa lava! Kia ora koutou! Warm Pacific greetings!

We had the great pleasure last Tuesday of opening Te Puna Wai o Waipapa’s very own fale, the fale being the dedicated Pasifika space for our rangatahi Pasifika. Students have been working hard over the last few months to create this space, often leaving school covered in paint and smelling like disinfectant! We appreciate all their hard work! We have some amazing Pasifika treasures sitting in the fale that speak to a lot of different cultures across Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. Thank you to our students and community for their contributions to the fale.

The opening of the fale coincided with our first fono of the year, after the excitement of Polyfest last term. We were so delighted to be able to host aiga, ākonga and staff from day school and After 3, representatives from the Ministry of Education, the University of Canterbury, city councillor and former Hagley student Yani Johanson, and Pastor Time Taioalo who blessed the space. Many thanks to the crew who put the evening together, and a special fa’afetai tele lava to Social Sciences, both for sustained support and presence, and for your generous gift for the fale.

This is a really significant moment for our community, as can be seen in many of the messages we received on Tuesday. This is just a taste!

Mitaki lahi e fale hā mautolo.

An honour to witness the opening of this special fale! May this space bring: peace, safety, talanoa, academia, fellowship, laughter, song, our ancestors, collaboration, identity. An honour to be invited!

He tino harikoa au e pā ana ki tēnei mō te whānau Pasifika! … It’s an ataahua space.

Proud to be part of our beautiful Pasifika community here at TPWOW. Love you all and wishing all my best for our new and ataahua fale.

Awesome and amazing place to support Pacific people. So proud of all those who worked so hard to make it happen. I look forward to the special moment of magic that will occur for all those who enjoy, learn and visit this place.

Malo lava! Congrats on our new aiga space 😊 Blessings and alofas from our aiga to Te Puna Wai o Waipapa Aiga!

Malo lava Hagley! Thank you so much for creating a safe place for our Pasifika children and a Pasifika space for them. Your welcome to the community is also a challenge for other schools to follow. Manuia le melaga.

Malo le galue ma le manatu atofa I alo ma fanau a motu e fia a le Pasifika.

This message from Fue Seinafo at MOE sums up this part of our journey:

In 1991 you were a foundation school for our Polyfest. In 2023 you returned to the SPACPAC Polyfest stage and again led the way with the establishment of a Pasifika room for students and aiga. Thank you for your leadership. Manuia le malaga.