Bon Voyage – Te Rina, we send good thoughts and aroha with you to Australia.

We said ‘Ka kite’, ki ngaa Year 6 o te tau 2010, wishing you all a fantastic year of development and growth and Nau mai, haere mai ki ngaa tamariki o tenei tau 2011.

Room 17 welcomes Ms Walley and can’t wait to see what is in store them this year.

Mrs Karaka’s thoughts to you all, ‘Success is in the hand of the beholder – Take it it’s yours!’

Looking forward to reading about your endeavours, stories and new adventures in 2011.

MAURIORA!

Final days in 2010, Room 17 representing…

School Picnic – Ambury Park and last day at Owairaka 2010.

Mau e mahi, maku e mahi ma tatou katoa e whiwhi i te matauranga teitei –

I can do it, you can do it and together we can achieve our goals.  C Karaka 2007

We are very proud to announce that the ‘Room 17 Pepeha group’ have completed the valuable historical information for our school history. You may read more about Wairaka and some of her stories on this website: living heritage

If you have any questions, thoughts or opinions about this information please blog us, leave a comment, or just tell us what you think.

This is Mrs Karaka signing off. It has been a pleasure learning about Wairaka and her many stories.

To the staff and students of Owairaka: Be brave like Wairaka and stand up for what is right.

To my Room 17 students I will miss you, but do remember you are my last memory of Owairaka Primary School. You have taught me a lot about myself and have influenced my teaching career. Thank you.

To Te Whanau O Owairaka; my whanau, Ngaa mihi mahana ki a koutou mo o koutou tautoko e pa ana ki te kaupapa – te kaupapa nui ake, Te Reo. I sincerely thank the families who have been involved with the whanau for a long time, but also those who have shared a small, significant time with us. Without you the whanau would not have been so successful. We’ve had our ups and downs but we are fighters, just like our school tipuna, Wairaka.

In her words; ‘KIA WHAKATANE  AU I AHAU‘

5.00 pm rolled around quickly as we (ngaa kootiro) – the girls bustled into Ngaa Ringa Awhina and ngaa tama (boys) assembled in Room 17. Our nerves took over, as we ran over the night’s performance.

Dresses check, head pieces check, ngaa poi double check. Mrs Karaka began with a karakia, as we always do, this is a daily occurance, a part of our routine in Room 17 and in our Te Reo classes each week. We were ready to take the stage.

Many eyes focused on our every movement. You could have cut the tension with a knife.

Rosie began with a powerful karanga of welcome, quickly followed by Anialla who I thought had forgotten her lines, but no she soldiered on, then it was Wendy’s turn, then mine. I bellowed out loudly, ‘Teenaa i whiua’ our kapa erupted into life, eyes doing pukana, the boys tongues flashing fiercely. Chills ran up my spine.

My voice soared and broke. I gave it my all. So much I had nothing left for my next song. Luckily Mrs Karaka was there in support. I heard her command us to, “Kia kaha! Be strong!” So we did. We gave it as much as we had left from our previous assembly experience. My tired voice ached as we sang each song/Waiata.

I believe Mrs Karaka was very proud of us and that she will always be a part of Te Whanau o Owairaka.

We will miss you Mrs Karaka so don’t forget us!

Shona F Year 6 2010

To all our Year 6 leavers, ‘Kia kaha, kia maia, KIA MATAARA!

The Very Bad Mistake

‘OUCH!” A claw quickly crept back into it’s home, away from my aching foot.

It happened while I was on a walk with a bunch of Kauri kids and Miss Green we were going towards the seashore.

There was an area where the mud was extremely sticky and many of us got stuck while trying to get across the mud wilderness. Your legs will sink into it. I tried getting passed, I even removed my shoes and I still got stuck. I tried to get through but I dropped my shoe, while getting it out my socks fell and I then had to stick my clean hands down into the gross mud. I pulled out my shoe it was filled to the top with mud.

It was so YUCK! After a moment, I got to the other side of the deserted beach and tried to get back after ten minutes or so, then I realised I had at least twenty cuts on my left foot. Blood was everywhere. Man it hurt!

It hurt even more because I WAS STANDING ON THE SHARP ROCKS WITH MY SORE FEET. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Abel B Year 5 2010

Tamariki Owairaka was echoed…

“Come on! Let’s do our Tamariki Owairaka song!”, called Wendy. “You can record us too, Wendy”, replied someone else.

Ready! Set! Go! As we began Bang! Bang! We were dancing and singing. It sounded strong like we were a thousand men performing a haka. It sounded so cool!

It was as though Mrs Karaka was with us, cheering us on.

I can’t wait for Mrs Karaka to watch it. I think she will be really proud of us, I think we did a real good job of it for her and our school.

Tapu P Year 5 2010.

MUD, MUD GLORIOUS MUD!!!!!

The slimy mud is everywhere.

I heard a sudden ‘yelp’ from behind me. I turned around to see who it was. it was Victoria. Her foot was stuck.  I ran towards her and tried whatever I could to help her out. But there was only last resort, to dip my super clean hands into the gross mud. So that is what I did.

In the end, I felt awful. Next time, I go to Ambury Park, I am so not going to the muddy beach line again!

Janelle K Year 5 2010

Karanga mai echoed through the hustle and bustle of our 2010 Eden/Albert festival. We inched forward and joined the manuhiri that waited for their cue. The daily procession was opened with a karakia, by a young male, Rapaea Henderson from Ngati Porou descent. Followed by a mihi of welcome then a chorus of voices to conclude.

Whanau(families) and friends came from all over Auckland to endulge in our festivities.

10.10 came around quickly for Te Whanau o Owairaka. We proudly took the stage as the loud speaker introduced us to the multitudes. One by one we turned to the waiting crowd, scanning for those who know us well.

I too, stood with my fantastic kapahaka. They trully shone on stage, the additional hairpieces worked a real treat.

Our beautiful voices fulled the over-flowing hall, people of every race, religion and belief sat in awe of the groups amazing performance.

The kapahaka girls sweet singing hypnotised the audience and the swinging poi dazzled them even more.

As for our boys, they put the ‘fear of God’ into the roaring audience as they rumbled and terrified all that witnessed their haka  Tika Tonu.

I believe our performance set the standard for the day.

Ngaa mihi mahana ki a koutou i haere ki ta matou taha, i whakarite ngaa kakahu haka, me tiaki ngaa tamariki ki te Rocket Park. Tenei te mihi ki koutou.

Thank you to all our fantastic parents, caregivers, and staff who gave their time to dress the children and transport them to and from Rocket Park. I can’t thank you enough.

To my tamariki, you continue to inspire me to teach haka, karanga, Te Reo Maori to all who want this taonga.

Ngaa mihi ki a koutou katoa mo tenei wa Kirihimete…. Kia tupato i tera wa, hei te awa, te one, te puna kaukau, ma runga waka – poti ranei. Ko tenei taku wa whakamutunga. Ka timata awau i te wahanga tuarua o te tau 2011, ki Te Kura a Rito o Newton.

Mauriora!

Ka Kite koutou – Te Whanau o Owairaka – Te Kura o Owairaka

Kauri team inched their way towards the destination; The Philip Pools (Mt Albert Pools near M.A.G.S)

With sweat pouring down, lines of students resembled scattering ants, verged on the Mt Albert Grammar grounds.

First up was series of introductions from the keen instructors, one of which was a previous Owairaka student,       Deshon Sua’.

A series of fantastic jam packed experiences that our students will hopefully adhere to at the time of entering water, be that swimming pools, rivers, lakes or beaches.

A ‘mihi mahana’ to the team of awesome instructors from the Mt Albert pools for educating our children in safe water practices.

Thoughts of the day from Kauri team:

Sara says, ‘The leap of faith was the best’… Just do it!

Tapu says, ‘FREETIME was the best part of the day!’

Shayne says, ‘I love the hydroslide’.

Room 17 complained, ‘The walk was too long!’

Mrs Karaka rejoiced, ‘It was so good to witness the Kauri team students giving everything a go. WE CAN DO IT’.

Thank you Mr Pressnell for the great deep water experiences at Mt Albert pools. You’re the best!

Our reflection day began with a powerful welcome (powhiri) from Te Whanau o Owairaka and Room 17.

Our visitors were given detailed talks and tours around our fabulous grounds. A good time to ‘show off our goods’. To conclude our proceedings, the Enviro-thinkers group and the Pepeha team combined with Mrs Tregoweth, Mrs Karaka,  Ms Christainsen and the Enviro-schools advisors discussed, debated and came to the same conclusion that Owairaka should receive the “GREEN GOLD AWARD!”

We couldn’t control ourselves within minutes we had dispersed throughout the school telling them of our good fortune. We left our very happy teachers and advisors to their hugs, cries and excitement.

Monty F Year 6 & Elisapesi F Year 5 2010

Welcoming the visitors

Tuesday 21st fell upon us like a tonne of bricks. Mrs Karaka transformed into a military officer barking orders to her ready soldiers, us!

My scared voice broke into ‘Tena i whuia!’ I knew it was wrong but I went hard anyway. Staring down on the visitors like a hawk stalking it’s prey from the distance.

Our strong voices bellowed loudly fulling the entire assembly hall to the ceiling. Our time there was a blur. But I knew Mrs Karaka was so proud of us I even think she had tears in her eyes.

I was proud of us too. So proud that I would love to do it all over again. Maybe without all the growls.

Sara B year 5 2010.

I sat there in silence, waiting for someone to ask me to dance .

After what seemed hours, a boy stood, holding his hands out ready to pull me up. ‘Yes, I’m not last’, I grinned to myself.

I quickly ran over to the large doughnut of Kauri team members, a sudden boom from the sound system gave me a fright as the torture began.

Holding hips and hands moving to the grove wiggling and spinning to the beat. In and out and spin to the next person.

“Oh no” I thought.  I’ve danced with every boy in Kauri team ‘OMG!’. 

I knew what I was in for when I got home.

As I walked through the door, all  I heard was “Who did you

dance  with?, How did they hold you?, Who do you like?  It was so embarrassing.

It was getting dark and I was feeling bored, so I picked myself up and I practised my dance moves.

I wondered to myself, ‘I hope I shine on the night.’

Stevie-Rose Year 6, 2010.

Disappearing Act

Suddenly I’m on the tarpolin, drinking my bottle of fresh,  cool water.   ‘RING! RING! RING!  The annoying bell interupts my thoughts of cold water, cooling me down. I walk, I jog, I sprint through the enormous, native trees surrounding our school field like being in a jungle.

I finally reach Room 17, I searched quickly for my blue and black school bag, which I find hiding under Abel’s desk leg.

“RING! RING! RING! Oh no! The second has rung. I sprint to the Kauri team eating area. I look at all my friends lying about on the hall steps. I panicked, “Where’s my hat?” I remembered it was still on the class tarpolin on the field.

“JADEN! WHERE’S YOUR HAT?”, Mr Waller bellowed. I shrunk into my seat. I replied, ‘On the field sir’. I could see he wasn’t impressed.

I was thinking to myself, Not today!

Jaden P Year 6 2010.

TJ McNamara’s review of one of our amazing whanau parents:

There is vitality of a different, calmer sort in the elegant, rich, abstract work of  Kathryn Stevens at Whitespace. Her paintings have two levels.

The lower level is a regular grid with fields of colour between fine lines. Over this is imposed a grid of wider lines, again encompassing fields of colour. The two layers interact: the inner layer is static while the outer layer swings outwards, inwards or like a wave across the canvas in a wonderfully rhythmic and musical way.

Though these paintings move in space in many different ways, the individuality of each painting is founded in its colour harmony. Frame #3, which forces outward, has rich russet-reds and brown, whereas Canopy, which curves gently inwards, is a harmony of blue and pale green.

These delightful paintings are supplemented by a series of drawings that make precise dances of line in space.

Ngaa mihi ki a koe e te rangatira mo tenei kaupapa. The Whanau of Owairaka District Primary School think you are amazing and that you are an excellent example of a ‘You Can Do It’ parent.

Well done on your latest exhibition. We look forward to following you with your success stories!

WALT: HOOK IN THE READER

I WILL REMEMBER TO:

• USE ADJECTIVES TO DESCRIBE
• USE INTERESTING WORDS
• USE PARAGRAPH(1 IDEA)

It’s Friday night and it’s game night. So we travel to our destination ‘a haunted house’. It’s dark and freaky.

My heart is pounding with fear. In my head, I’m thinking ‘what’s going to happen next’. Then “BAM” a brown, ugly door slam’s shut behind our terrified group. I started jogging, then I stop.  I’m still freaked out. I finally whispered “STOP!”. Everything stops and I see my oldest brother laughing his heart out.

He’s standing there with his beaming new, black and white Nike t shirt and a pair of black Ban Davis shorts.

He has short, spiky, black hair that doesn’t move because of all the product he uses. His smooth tanned complexion catches the light, but his annoying tone in his ever present voice, echoes through the vacant space between us.

He has no experience of being creative in my mind. The frozen chills melt away as my fear turned to embarrassment.

MONTY YEAR 6 Term 4, 2010.