Kapa Haka and Te Reo Māori

We are thrilled to announce that Kapa Haka at Te Rito Harakeke Marshland will continue to flourish in 2025! We are incredibly fortunate to have Matua Te Huaki with us again this year, sharing his expertise, passion, and aroha for Kapa Haka. Matua is a passionate and talented tutor and we are excited for another year of growth, learning, and performance.

A special milestone awaits our senior Kapa Haka group as they prepare to compete competitively for the first time at the Tūhono festival. This is an incredible opportunity for our students to showcase their hard work, dedication, and represent our school on stage. We ask that if your child is interested in being part of our Kapa Haka rōpū (group) that you do your best to commit to coming to Tūhono at the end of the year, which is usually on a Saturday and also the Te Ara Tūhura festival. Not only are these events a celebration of the years hard work, but we rely on our older students to lead and support the younger students in the group. They spend the year practising together and every person is really important and key to the performance. We know things come up but, where possible, please do your best to commit to this exciting kaupapa.

This year, we are expanding our Kapa Haka programme to include our junior school! Our younger tamariki will have the opportunity to learn, grow, and immerse themselves in the beauty of Kapa Haka. With the support of Matua Te Huaki and some of our Tuakana (older students), they will develop their skills and confidence. While they won’t be competing this year, they will still have the chance to perform and share their learning with our school community. Kapa Haka is more than just performance; it is a journey of cultural connection, identity, and whanaungatanga (kinship and working together). We are so excited to see our students embrace this kaupapa (principle), supporting and inspiring each other as they develop a deeper appreciation for te reo Māori and tikanga (practices).

We are also very excited to be starting our Te Reo Paramanawa (morning tea) lessons. These are open to any students that are interested and will be in the Harakeke room on Mondays at morning tea. The first lesson starting on the 24th of February will be on;

"He aha te tae?" What colour is it?

We welcome feedback on our lessons and if we have whānau with Te Reo expertise we would love to get in touch.

Ngā mihi nui, Te Rito Harakeke Marshland Whānau