Mokoia Intermediate School welcomes new principal Rawiri Wihapi with pohiri

On their first day back at school Mokoia Intermediate pupils have given a special welcome to their new principal Rawiri Wihapi.

Wihapi gathered with his whanau, friends and the new Year 7 pupils yesterday to be welcomed with a pohiri. The former Whangamarino School principal brought some of his former pupils with him so they could give him a send-off and hand him over to the new school.

"It means so much to have all of these lovely people here," he said.

The school hall was filled with parents and caregivers, teachers, fellow school principals and the waiting Year 8 pupils - who greeted him with a haka as he arrived.

He carried with him a stone which showed the mauri of his people and to bring the essence of who he is and where he comes from into the new school. It was blessed with a karakia.

New principal at Mokoia Intermediate School Rawiri Wihapi was welcome with a pohiri. Photo/Alice Guy

There were speeches of welcome from the Board of Trustees and Mokoia Intermediate staff and of farewell from his peers at Whangamarino.

"I would like to thank everyone that is here, even if I forget to mention you in my speech, I still thank you," Wihapi said.

"A particular thank you to my wife Te Aroha, who was once a teacher at Mokoia Intermediate, many years ago."

He joked with the pupils that he would make mistakes, just as they did sometimes, but that's what made him human and that's what made them alike.

"I have done a lot of talking, and now it's time for me to do the walking."

Pupils from Mokoia sang waiata, but Wihapi made sure to leave the final song to the pupils from Whangamarino.

Mokoia Intermediate deputy principals Annemarie Hyde and Jackie Jones then took him arm in arm and guided him across the stage into the fold of his new colleagues.