On Tuesday afternoon we were joined by members of Matua Smiley Haua’s whānau to lay to rest the damaged whakairo (carvings) from our whare.

Matua was a cherished teacher who worked hard to create a Māori presence in our school. A carved mahau (porch) attached to the Māori Room fulfilled some of that dream. With the help of Matua Te Wera King we acknowledged Smiley’s work in our school and we gave our carvings a fitting send off. We now look forward to that spirit being embraced in new whakairo for our mahau.

Ka mate te kainga tahi, ka ora te kainga rua

Following this ceremony we proceeded to the centre of our school where Matua Te Wera then blessed the new sculpture Power, produced by students during 2017 Arts Week. This beautiful work embodies the ideals of our school values and our efforts to achieve and demonstrate these in our school. Congratulations go to the boys who created this striking monument.