“Ma te korero i te reo ka ora ai, ma te ora o te reo ka rangatira”
This week nation wide people have been celebrating and acknowledging our reo maori. This is an awesome kaupapa and we are happy to see and hear our reo being recognized and applauded.
At Raglan Area School in our rumaki unit ‘Te Ropu Aroha ki te Reo’ we acknowledge and celebrate our reo maori every day.
But this week we celebrated maori language week by establishing our own Te Ropu Aroha ki te Reo haka group to participate in the Waikato regionals being held in November 2012. Waiata is the best way to learn our reo and tamariki thoroughly enjoy it.
In Te Ropu Aroha ki te Reo all curriculum areas are taught in te reo whether it be Mathematics, Science or Art. The special thing about learning in a rumaki environment is that you are enriched with your language, culture and heritage while learning other areas under the Maori curriculum. We see the positive impact this has on our tamariki every day. They are confident and proud in knowing who they are and where they come from and they apply this in their learning and relationships.
Te Ropu Aroha ki te Reo is just a small part of Raglan Area School where we learn in te reo but if you walk around our unique school, it may be in the mainstream primary area, surf academy or in the college you will also see that teachers are encouraging our reo and exhibiting our school values of manaakitanga, whakawhanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga and poutama.
We acknowledge Matua Malcolm for his continual support of celebrating our reo but also acknowledge, recognise and remember the late Wini Bidois (E Kui) who created Te Ropu Aroha ki te Reo. For without her strength and mana the tamariki of Whaingaroa would not have the opportunity to learn their reo rangatira.
We also acknowledge our tamariki and whanau for the aroha they show for our reo and all that our matua tupuna have left us. Ka ngangaro koutou! No reira e koutou te hapori whanui kia kaha ki te ako i to tatou reo whakahirahira kia tu rangatira ai o tatou tamariki otira tatou katoa.
“Iti rearea teitei, Kahikatea ka taea”
Mauri ora na nga kaiako o
Te Ropu Aroha ki te Reo 2012
