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See below for English translation
E koke ana tētahi roopū tauira nō ngā tau 5 me te tau 6 ō Te Kura o Rotokawa i tētahi taiao akoranga hou. Ēhara noa i te akoranga a waho i te akomanga, ēngari e whakawhiti moana hoki ana.
E ai ki te tumuaki a Regan Williams, mō ngā tau e 4 kua pahure te kura e whakawhanaketia ai i ā rātou marautanga me te ketuketu i ngā pūrakau o te takiwā.
“Kua ako mātou e pā ana ki ngā tohu whenua o te takiwā, me te mārama me pēhea te hanga me te taute i ngā māra kai kia toitū nā te hītori o Rotorua. Kua ako ngā tamariki e pā ana ki te tūhononga o te waka o Te Arawa ki a Rarotonga.”
E 40 ngā tamariki, e 19 ngā mātua me ngā kaiako tokotoru e tāwahitia anō ana i ngā tapuwae a ō rātou tīpuna. E whakapono ana ko Te Arawa te waka tuatahi o ngā waka e whitu kia tae ki Rarotonga, ā kai te whakarite te kura ki te peka atu ki te wāhi a Te Māra o Ngā Kohatu e Whitu, te tohu whenua tawhito o ngā waka e whitu.
“Nā te urunga mai a Rarotonga ki ā mātou marautanga, i whakatau ki te whakariterite i tētahi noho puni whakawhiti moana ki kō mō ngā tamariki o ngā tau 5 me te 6. He noho puni tēnei ka whaia tonu me he wāhanga nui o te marautanga ā-rua-tau.”
E 6 ngā kaupapa matua o te kura mō te marautanga ā-rua-tau, ko te Tuakiri, te Ahurea, te Rangatiratanga, te Kaitiakitanga, te Manaakitanga me te Whakamana.
E 3 ngā kaupapa e whakaako ana mo ngā wāhanga tuatahi ki te tuatoru i ia tau. Ka whakawhanake te akomanga i ngā akoranga mō te wāhanga 4 mai i ā rātou e ngākau whitawhita ana.
Ēhara ngā akoranga o ngā tamariki i te hītori hirahira mō a tātou noa, mō ētahi, kai te waihanga hītori mō rātou me ō rātou whānau anō hoki.
“Mō tēnei haerenga o mātou, ka nui ngā maharatanga e kore e warewaretia pērā ki te eke waka rererangi mō te wā tuatahi, te whai puka uruwhenua, te ako mo tētahi ahurea hou, he Kuia e hāereere ana me tāna mokopuna mō te wā tuatahi, he whaea e whai puka uruwhenua ana mō te wā tuatahi me te hāereere me tāna tamahine, he maha ā mātou tamariki e whai puka uruwhenua me te hāereere ki waho o Aotearoa mō te wā tuatahi, me ngā mahi me ngā wheako e taea noa ki Rarotonga.”
Kāore e kore ka hoki pai mai ēnei tamariki me ngā maharatanga mīharo, ngā akoranga me ngā wheako hei tāpiri ki ā rātou māramatanga mō te tuakiritanga, te ahurea, ā, kia tipu tā rātou aroha mō Te Ao Māori.
A group of year 5 and 6 tamariki from Rotokawa School are currently in a unique learning environment that has taken them not just outside the classroom, but across the ocean.
Principal Regan Williams said that for the past four years, the school have been developing their curriculum and delving into local pūrakau.
“We have been learning about local landmarks, understanding how to create and nurture sustainable mārā kai along with the history of Rotorua. Our tamariki have learnt about the link the Te Arawa waka has with Rarotonga.”
Forty tamariki along with 19 parents and three staff members are now retracing the steps of their tipuna. It is believed that Te Arawa was the first of the seven canoes to arrive in Rarotonga and the school plan on visiting the site of The Garden of The Seven Stones, the historical landmark of the seven canoes.
“As Rarotonga fits in with our curriculum, we decided to organise an overseas camp there for our year 5 and 6 tamariki.
“This camp will be on-going and a huge part of our bi-annual curriculum, " Regan said.
As part of the bi-annual curriculum, the school has six main topics that include; Tuakiri(identity), Ahurea(culture), Rangatiratanga(leadership), Kaitiakitanga(Guardianship), Manaakitanga(Caring) and Whakamana(Respect).
Three topics are taught each year during the first three terms with the fourth term learning being developed as a class and based on their passions.
Not only will tamariki learn about the significant history of our people, for some, they will also be making history for themselves and their whānau.
“For this particular trip, there will be so many unforgettable memories including things such as travelling on a plane for the first time, having a passport, learning a new culture, a Nanny travelling with one of her mokopuna for the first time, a mother having a passport for the first time ever and travelling with her daughter, many of our tamariki having a passport and travelling out of Aotearoa for the first time, activities and experiences that are only available in Rarotonga.”
There is no doubt that these tamariki will return home with wonderful memories, learnings and experiences that will add to their understanding of identity, culture and grow their love for Te Ao Māori.
The remains were discovered in a rural area of Waikato earlier this week.