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| Te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani 2025 |
In Week 4 of Term 3 we celebrated Cook Island Language Week. The 2025 theme for Cook Islands Māori Language Week is "Ātui'tui’ia au ki te raurau a tōku matakeinanga" which translates to 'Connect me to the offerings of my people'. This year our Cook Island staff and students organized the very first inter house competition which was the Ura Pau competition. Ura Pau is a traditional Cook Island dance and is characterized by the swaying of the hips and is styled by the Cook Island drums. This was the first time that there has been an Inter House Ura Pau Competition for Cook Island Language Week at our kura and it was really exciting to see staff and students get involved, participate and celebrate te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani.
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| Totara House Cook Island Group 2025 - before the performance |
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| Totara House Cook Island Group - after the competition |
As with every House event, Totara House were ready and excited to get involved with the Ura Pau competition. We were given four days to pull together students from our house to learn and perform Ura Pau. As with Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa 2025, I pulled together a group of students from the house to form the Samoan Group to represent our House at the competition. I did the same thing for te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani 2025, even though the turn around period was really short I knew that we had to get a group together. Led by one of House prefects, Mamarei Henry-Ru and supported by our two House Captions (Tupou Peaua and Louvina Palei) the Totara House Cook Island Group was comprised of 13 students from across Year 10, Year 12 and Year 13. There were 9 female performers and 3 male performers. The students performed at the Inter House Ura Pau Competition and placed First Equal with Puriri House. I am really proud of the students who represented Totara House and the kotahitanga that they continue to show every time we come together for our whanau group. Kotahitanga being one of our House values for 2025. The House leaders who led this campaign did an exceptional job in ensuring that the students involved came together, worked together and engaged in the process together.
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| Totara House Cook Island Group 2025 |
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Totara House Cook Island Group 2025
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The theme for this year is "Ātui'tui’ia au ki te raurau a tōku matakeinanga" - Although I am not from the Cook Islands I understand the significance of connecting ourselves to the offerings of our people. As a Dean, I feel so connected and I am so grateful to the offerings that the young people in my House continue to share collectively. I am humbled by their willingness to share and serve for our House. I am excited to continue this journey is offering, sharing and serving our House as we journey into this last part of 2025.
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