Maori Medium Class at Te Awaroa Celebrates 2 Years
On Friday 4th November the tamariki at Te Kura Tuatahi o Te Awaroa with their kaiako Jess Rutherford celebrated the two year anniversary of their Maori Medium Education class. As part of the celebrations the tamariki shared how the class came to be with whanau and visitors Te Whare Kakano, the Maori Medium Education class from Parakai. They recalled their memories of the struggle whanau had trying to find a kaiako, the dawn karakia on the first day and the momentous day the table and chairs arrived.
Two years down the track the class has a roll of 15 students in Years 2-4, and is looking to grow. The tamariki went on to share their dreams and aspirations for the future of the kaupapa, many of them wanting to see more Maori classes at Helensville, a whare nui built on school grounds and Te Reo Maori strong and alive in their daily lives.
The whanau and tamariki planted a kowhai tree to signify the special day, knowing that when the kowhai tree flowers the anniversary of the class is coming up. Displayed with the rakau were the dreams and aspirations of the tamariki for the future. As the weather washes the words from the bamboo stakes, eventually they will fall to the base of the tree and return back to the earth. The thoughts the tamariki have for the future of the kaupapa will grow up with the tree and blossom.
A whakatauki that could be heard repeated in many of the korero was ‘ko te piko o te mahuri, ko tera te tupu o te rakau’ -the bend in the sapling determines how the tree will grow.
