Kaipara College was represented for the first time in 9 years at the ASB Polyfest, by our Kapa Haka, Ngâ Taniwha o Kaipara. The event was held at the Manukau Sports Bowl, from the 15th - 18th of March, with our students performing in Division 3 on Thursday the 16th of March.
Being in a Division with over 21 other groups and not having entered any Kapa Haka competitions for nearly a decade, our group was not overly optimistic that we would come away with any awards, let alone place in the top 10. Therefore our aim was to represent our school, our community, our iwi and our whânau with pride. However, not only did our Kapa Haka manage to do this, they also managed to impress the judges and exceed our expectations. Ngâ Taniwha o Kaipara received 9 awards and amazingly, placed 3rd overall!
The good news for our group did not end there. The schools who placed 1st and 2nd in our Division (Western Springs College and James Cook High School) have groups in Division 1 & 2 respectively. As schools can only have 1 group in each Division, they became ineligible for promotion to Division 2. That meant that Ngâ Taniwha o Kaipara were promoted! Therefore in 2018, we will be competing in Division 2 of the ASB Polyfest.
Article supplied by Kaipara College Brianne Te Paa,
Head Of Department Mâori Studies
