Te Reo Māori – Āke, āke, āke!

Avondale College marked Te Wiki o te Reo Māori with a week of celebrations that recognised and celebrated Māori culture, language and achievement across our school community.

The week began on Monday with a powerful whole-school haka performed at assembly, followed by Te Pō Angitū, our annual Māori Success Evening on Tuesday.

This special event honoured the contributions and achievements of our tauira Māori across cultural, academic and sporting pursuits, while also recognising students' commitment to kapa haka and attendance. This year also saw the introduction of newly created taonga for o

ur special awards, adding a meaningful new element to the evening. The evening was very well attended by students, whānau and staff, reflecting the strong support for Māori success within our community. The Atrium looked stunning, decorated with twinkling fairy lights, and a popular photo booth gave attendees the opportunity to capture memories with friends and whānau.

Wednesday saw students take to the field for a Ki-o-Rahi tournament. Teams competed enthusiastically in the traditional Māori game, showing teamwork, skill and sportsmanship while learning more about this unique aspect of Māori culture.

The celebrations concluded on Thursday with the sale of parāoa parai / traditional fry bread at lunchtime. The delicious treat, topped with jam and lashings of caramel sauce, proved extremely popular with students and staff alike, completing selling out. The fundraiser was a great success and provided another opportunity for our school community to come together, share kai and celebrate Māori culture.

Mā te kōrero, ka ora te reo with Ake, Ake, Ake! Through speaking, the language lives. Forever and ever and ever.