Our Pepeha

Kia ora,

I hope you are all safe and happy in your bubbles, and while the lock down is an unexpected, and for many a really stressful experience, I hope you are able to enjoy this opportunity to connect as a whānau.

I thought I would take a moment to talk about our centre pepeha, which we have been learning as a group during the past term. Our pepeha was gifted to Mairtown kindergarten by local kaumatua and master carver Te Warahi Heteraka, and you will find it recorded in your child’s portfolio. It has been an honour to receive this gift, and to honour it, we wished to ensure it became a living part of our curriculum which held meaning for all of our tamariki, and not just a piece of paper. In order to do this, we have set the words to music, using the tune of ‘Ma is White’, which is well known by many of our tamariki; and we are so grateful to Kelly (Taikura’s dad) for helping us to add appropriate actions. There is nothing better than words and movement to make words stick in your memory, and bring meaning to them.

Taraporvala (2019) states, Tamariki can be introduced to a simple pepeha to strengthen their own understanding of who they are and where they come from. The Education Hub explains a child’s wairua (spirit or soul) comprises their connectedness to all life, from those who have come before them, to the geographical landmarks of their shared environment and a respect for their natural world.

Our centre pepeha acknowledges that we have come here from many places to share this beautiful kindergarten together, as have those who have been here before us; and that we honour both the amazing environment it sits within, and the Iwi (Tribe) and Hapu (communities/families) who belong to this area and allow us to share it with them.

These are the words of our pepeha, and their translation;

Ko Parihaka te Maunga

Parihaka is the Mountain

Ko Hoteo te Awa    

Hoteo (Hatea) is the River

Ko Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu te Iwi

Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu is the tribe

Ko Parawhau, ko Ngāti Kahu-ki-Torongare, ngā hapu o Whangārei Te Terenga Paraoa      

        Parawhau, and Ngāti Kahu-ki-Torongare, the communities/family groups of  Whangarei   

                                            Ko Mairtown te wāhi                                          

Mairtown is the place/location

          Ko Mairtown tōku Kura Kohungahunga            

Mairtown is my Kindergarten

                   Anei mātau, nō ngā hau e whā                   

Here we are, from the four winds   

                                        Tihei wā mauri ora!                                         

Behold, there is life!

We are so proud of the way our tamariki have taken ownership of this pepeha, and we have loved sharing the process of learning it and making it a part of ourselves alongside them. I hope they can share it with you too!

Ma te wā,

Anne