Celebrating Puanga at Puketapu School✨
As we celebrate Matariki with our whānau, we look back on the special Puanga celebration we shared together last week. .
On the last Friday of Term 2, Puketapu School came together to celebrate Puanga, connection, learning, and whanaungatanga. It was wonderful to see so many Puketapu t-shirts, hoodies, and beanies being worn proudly, featuring our special Puanga logo designed by our talented student, Kobe Liddicoat.
The day began fresh and early at 6.30am with our Hautapu Ceremony. As the fire pits kept us warm and the Puanga star shone brightly above us, students, staff, and whānau gathered together to reflect, connect, and share kai.
At 8.00am, tamariki and whānau who stayed for the day began their rotations in their whānau groups. One of the highlights was seeing our tuakana and teina learning together, with older and younger students sharing experiences and building stronger connections across our kura.
Our tamariki took part in a wide range of activities throughout the day, including: Raranga – Weaving
Tapu Ae – a traditional team ball game
Pūrakau – traditional stories
Mahi Mara – gardening and seed planting
Tī Rākau – a rhythmic stick game
Whai – string games
Mau Rākau – Māori martial arts
and Poi
It was a fantastic day filled with learning, laughter, and opportunities to celebrate our culture and traditions together.
You can view photos from our Puanga celebration here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4PPSH6Tv29q6scX6A
A special thank you to:
- The Puanga team for all the mahi, organisation, and preparation behind the scenes to bring the day together
- Our teachers who planned and ran activities, and those who supported and guided whānau groups throughout the rotations
- Our other staff who supported with set up, clean up and helped the day run smoothly
- Jeff and our amazing student baristas for providing coffees and keeping our whānau warm throughout the morning and Mr Quince for sorting the three-phase power we needed for the machine
- Our raranga expert who shared her knowledge and supported our weaving activities
- Matua Kingi and Cara Edwards for their help with poi
- Whaea Di for coming in and spending the day with us teaching whai
- The incredible volunteers from The Salvation Army in America who supported our celebration all day
- Yvonne, Andy, and Danielle for providing the delicious hot chocolates
- Our amazing kitchen team for a generous and nourishing breakfast
- To everyone else who contributed their time, energy, and mahi to help make our Puanga celebration such a memorable experience for our tamariki and whānau. We see and appreciate you.
- And to our students and you, our wonderful school whānau, parents, and families for investing your time to join this Puanga celebration, and for learning and celebrating this incredibly special time in our country’s calendar alongside us. Your presence and support reflects the special nature of Puketapu School “Mā te whanaungatanga ka pakari te rourou.”(Through connection and community, our shared basket is strengthened.)
Events like Puanga remind us of the importance of coming together as a kura, celebrating who we are, and strengthening our connections with each other.
From our Puketapu whānau to yours, we hope you enjoy celebrating Matariki / Puanga with your whānau, taking time to reflect on the past, appreciate the present, and look forward to the future. ✨
