From left, clockwise: Willow Kerr, Stella Best, Harry Bennett and Charlie Petherick peeling vegetables for the hangi. Photo/ Supplied
Stratford Primary School pupils helped to prepare a hangi while learning about its cultural significance.
Head of Kaupapa Māori Sheenagh Fairclough says the hangi has become a tradition at the school.
"We have one each year at our Whānau Day. Unfortunately, the past two years we've been unable to have the hangi. This year, we decided to have the hangi with the tamariki and staff."
She says after much planning, the school ran the hangi in accordance with red traffic light settings.
"We had no parents on site, it was only the staff and pupils. To keep numbers under 100, we buddied a junior class with a senior class. It was important to us that our pupils can still have these fun experiences, as long as they can be done safely following regulations."
Having a senior and junior class buddy together helped to build tuakana teina (the relationship between an older (tuakana) person and a younger (teina) person).
"It's an integral part of Māori society and it's important we foster those relationships."
"Also the hall was set up so none of the groups would mingle with each other. Once the children had filled their lunchbox, they went to eat in their class."
Sheenagh says the pupils were involved in the entire process, from peeling the vegetables, to helping dig the pit and then eating the prepared hangi.
"The whole experience was a great learning opportunity. The pupils learnt about the cultural significance of hangi and got to have an awesome, perfectly cooked meal while doing so. The children loved every minute of it. They worked hard to ensure the hangi would go ahead, I was super impressed."