Tiaho School puts te reo on the air

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The sweet te reo Maori sounds of Tiaho Primary School have been heard this week on Radio Te Wairoa 88FM as part of the school’s Maori Language Week celebrations.

A four-minute te reo Maori segment recorded by Tiaho Primary School students was broadcast at 8.15am, 12.15pm and 4.15pm each week day.

“That way we’re trying to get people first thing in the morning before they leave for the day, lunchtime and then the afternoon when they get in from school,” Radio Te Wairoa producer Ray Brooks-Hider said.

“The kids are keen to hear themselves on the radio, and consequently the parents are too, and the rest of the whanau, so that is why the school requested those time slots.”

Mr Brooks-Hider’s wife is a teacher at the school and organised the recordings with year 5 and 6 students.

“We introduce the Tiaho segment with a classic Maori song — on Monday we led with Poi E — and then we break into Tiaho School kids saying, ‘Kia ora Wairoa!’

“They give us the Maori word for the day of the week, a word of the day and then perform a waiata. They finish by repeating their words of the day.”

Mr Brooks-Hider, who hails from the UK — where his love of radio began — said Radio Te Wairoa was very supportive of broadcasting and promoting Maori language all-year round.

“With our online channel Rocket Radio we can beam the Maori language around New Zealand and around the world.”

The radio broadcasts were part of a series of Maori Language Week activities happening at Tiaho Primary School.

Principal Zak Anderson said the whole school was trying to be more bilingual.

“We have been using phrases in the office and our classrooms are learning a new waiata and karakia.

“Our students have been playing Ika Ika, which is the Maori version of (the card game) Go Fish.”

The children have learned the phrase “haere ika”, which means “go fish”, as well as the card numbers and suits in Maori.

The school had a hangi planned for today.

Wairoa Primary School year 4, 5 and 6 students travelled with principal Richard Lambert to Te Mata School in Havelock North on Wednesday to learn the importance of te reo and see how they could put it into practice in their akomanga (classroom).

¦ Wairoa District Council Maori relationships manager Duane Culshaw took it upon himself to encourage his workplace to korero te reo Maori (speak Maori) more this week.

“We have crosswords and quizzes going and I have sent out emails challenging staff to tell me the correct, original and full name for different cities in New Zealand.

“The staff actually really enjoy the challenge and it means they have to go away and research it. I also let them know new words each day and welcome them to my office for help in pronouncing the words properly.”