Tēnā koutou Whānau O Maungakiekie,
As dawn broke this morning, two hundred gathered inside the hall to welcome her and celebrate Matariki 2018. The pūtātara, or conch shell trumpet, signalled the beginning of the ceremony.
Following its haunting tones our kaumātua, Godfrey Rudolph, shared a karakia and mihi to welcome and focus us. This was followed by Principal Janine Irvine, sharing her mihi and formally welcoming us all to the Matariki event.
Next came the most important people of all, our tamariki, our children. Milla, Maia, Victoria, Amelia and Sarah shared ideas and knowledge they had researched about Matariki. Their mature delivery, in front of a large audience, was remarkable. Our final item was “Wairua” written by Maimoa and sung by the Year 5 Choir. This was “invigorating.” Throughout the ceremony we sung waiata to support the speakers. At the end the staff served parakuihi or breakfast to all.
This was a delightful way to begin our special day. Throughout the rest of the morning classes buddied up to create artworks, investigate and explore all aspects of Matariki. In the afternoon we came together as a school to celebrate our mahi, our work and formally close our celebrations for 2018. What a great day of collaborative learning!
Thank you for your participation and support of this event, and a special thank you to Lisa Rolle for organising this wonderful event.
