Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) was celebrated by students and staff during an action-packed week of fun challenges and activities.

“We were overwhelmed with student participation and support for the activities. It was a very busy and exciting week,” says Rector Christine Leighton.

Students from the Pre-school to Year 13 engaged in everything from a Māori Art Exhibition, Māori weaponry tutorial, Māori board games, and a quiz, to sessions with the College’s thriving Māori and Pasifika Group.

Week-long te reo Māori challenges in the Library were popular – with all students who completed the daily challenges going into the draw to win one of 40 free hāngi. The hāngi was a highlight of the week and was put down on the Thursday by some Te Reo Māori students and members of the Māori and Pasifika Group. The food was prepared by the Senior A Girls’ basketball team in their own time and included fried bread they made to accompany the hāngi. The delicious food was highly appreciated by the lucky winning ticket holders.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori has been celebrated in New Zealand since 1975. It acknowledges and celebrates the Māori language as a taonga for all New Zealanders. In 2021 the theme was Kia Kaha te Reo Māori – let’s make the Māori language strong. St Andrew’s College is already well on its way to doing just this. Māori language and tikanga is integrated into all learning from Pre-school to Year 8, is a compulsory one hour per week class at Year 9, and an option class in Years 9–11. Next year, 23 of the incoming Year 9 students have selected Te Reo Māori as an option subject. Te Reo Māori will be an option available at all year levels in the Secondary School by 2023.