Tikanga Māori
At Waitohu School School tikanga Māori is woven into all of our days.
Students begin our school day sharing our Tuku Mihi to remind us all that we are here to seek peace within ourselves and to share peace towards each other.
Use of te reo Māori is throughout the day. Teachers use, to the capacity they, te reo when greeting, complimenting, reminding, giving instructions, asking or answering questions. We have several staff who are fluent speakers and all teachers are growing their te reo Māori capacity.
At the start of each term we welcome new students, whānau and staff with a whole school pōwhiri. Students are fully involved in our pōwhiri as kaikaranga, speakers on the pae, haka pōwhiri and waiata. Our pōwhiri are always special moments within our school year.
Waiata are enjoyed in so many contexts - within class, during assemblies, when raising or lowering our flag for special occasions, within kapa haka, on bus or van trips to different activities ......
Each year, as a school, we aim to visit a marae (Raukawa marae, Katihiku marae, Te Pou o Tainui marae) or another special place (Rangiatea Church, Pukekaraka, Te Wānanga o Raukawa) that are within Ōtaki. We want our students to know about, be proud of and connected to these special places.
Kāpiti Island is visited by all of our Year 5 students. Being at the top of Tuteremoana looking over to Ōtaki and the South Island is a tāonga we aim to gift to our students.
Prior to eating our kai all students share our school mihi mo te kai to bring gratitude for the food we have.
Matariki Hāngī Disco Day is a highlight on the school calendar. Students prepare a hāngī, dig a hāngī pit, watch the kai go into and then later come out of the ground. Every student gets to taste, experience and enjoy the hāngī. On this same day we have a disco to bring extra celebration to Matariki. The Matariki constellation, woven by students, sit high within our school hall, to mark this special time of year.
We aim for all of our students to be kaitiaki. In support of this senior students monitor the wellbeing of our local Waitohu Awa, measuring water quality and checking for the presence of invertebrate life. This is undertaken termly.
At the end of their school day all students share our school mihi whakakapi to bring appreciation for what we have experienced, and to wish each other well.
Our aim for everyone to be at peace in who they are and where they come from and for all, Māori and Pakeha to be at ease in the spaces of te ao Māori that we are so fortunate to have in such abundance, here in Ōtaki.