Owhata Primary School's senior bilingual pupils are sharing their love of te reo with the younger classes by creating Maori activities and games.
This week is Maori Language Week, which has the theme of manaakitanga - meaning to care for, entertain, show respect - and is the essence of Maori hospitality.
Tocelebrate the week, Owhata Primary School's senior bilingual class is creating a range of Maori activities and games such as writing a book in te reo, matching shapes and their Maori descriptions and more. Pupils and teachers speak English and Maori in the classroom.
Pupil Talisha Field, 9, said they were doing Maori activities on the computer and learning a lot of new Maori words.
"It's a lot of fun," she said.
She said she enjoyed learning te reo in the bilingual class because it related her back to her ancestors.
Teacher Joanne Winiata believed having Maori language week helped identify that there was a place for Maori and the language.
"It can be celebrated everywhere. It's part of our heritage and culture. It's part of these kids' lives," she said.
Mrs Winiata, who was passionate about the Maori language, said during this week's celebrations, more te reo would be spoken in the classroom.
"If I didn't have a passion for it I wouldn't be teaching it," she said.
She said she wanted the children to know where they belonged and learning Maori was fun.
Mrs Winiata said they were learning to develop manaakitanga in everything they did and encouraged their school community to do the same.
She said the whole school would be taking part in Maori Language Week because the games created by the senior bilingual students would be played by junior school.
"[The principal is] really good and the whanau [family] are always keen to help out with stuff," she said.
Mrs Winiata said the staff were always good at using the Maori language.
Pepeha/Phrases:
Tena koutou i a koutou manaakitanga mai - Thank you for your hospitality
Haere pai atu, hoki pai mai - Have a wonderful trip
Whakatauki/Proverb:
Tangata i akona ki te kainga, tunga ki te marae, tau ana - A person trained at home will stand on the marae with dignity.
