Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Pasifika style: Napier Girls’ High introduces lavalava to school wardrobe

Michaela Gower
Michaela Gower
Multimedia Journalist·Hawkes Bay Today·
23 Oct, 2023 10:13 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Vaine Toa prefect Lia Eneliko wearing the new school uniform lavalava with Nikol Stirland, the teacher in charge of Pasifika students. Photo / Warren Buckland

Vaine Toa prefect Lia Eneliko wearing the new school uniform lavalava with Nikol Stirland, the teacher in charge of Pasifika students. Photo / Warren Buckland

Napier Girls’ High School has introduced the lavalava to its formal uniform following a idea that formed over three years.

The idea was sparked after students noticed other New Zealand schools had incorporated it into their uniforms.

They approached principal Dawn Ackroyd and the teacher in charge of Pasifika students, Nikol Stirland, and got support to start working towards its inclusion.

The navy blue lavalava, a collaborative work, depicts the traditional hibiscus flower on one side and the school crest on the other.

The three-year design had many alterations, including making sure it was suitable for girls to walk around the school site on Napier Hill.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Work was done to have the pockets’ height and placement in the right position to give students the best experience.

The newest addition to the school uniform reflects the connection between school and culture.  Photo / Warren Buckland
The newest addition to the school uniform reflects the connection between school and culture. Photo / Warren Buckland

In Polynesian culture, the lavalava is worn to show modesty. The artwork featured was designed by former student Ruby Taite, and it was current Vaine Toa prefect Lia Eneliko who saw the initiative through to completion.

She is delighted to have it as part of the uniform and said all the girls were pleased it was finally on offer, and non-Pasifika students were also wearing it.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“It actually makes us girls a lot more confident,” Eneliko said.

Ackroyd is thrilled to finally have the option available for students and hopes it will further increase their sense of belonging and connection to the school.

She said that if students felt connected to the school, it helped to increase wellbeing and achievement in all aspects of their education.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. Michaela covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

Rugby World Cup: Khaleece, mum and a teddy on the dream trip

24 Sep 05:12 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Ross Shield: West lead going into the Battle of Hastings

24 Sep 04:50 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Napier motel fire: Guests moved to neighbouring accommodation after blaze

24 Sep 01:49 AM

Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Rugby World Cup: Khaleece, mum and a teddy on the dream trip
Hawkes Bay Today

Rugby World Cup: Khaleece, mum and a teddy on the dream trip

A Napier girl's trip to London is under way – her first trip on an aircraft.

24 Sep 05:12 AM
Ross Shield: West lead going into the Battle of Hastings
Hawkes Bay Today

Ross Shield: West lead going into the Battle of Hastings

24 Sep 04:50 AM
Napier motel fire: Guests moved to neighbouring accommodation after blaze
Hawkes Bay Today

Napier motel fire: Guests moved to neighbouring accommodation after blaze

24 Sep 01:49 AM


Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable
Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP