At the end of last term, our departing international student paid a visit to Te Tahawai Marae to deepen their understanding of te ao Māori. A special mention to Sebastian Zimmermann from Germany, who bravely gave a prepared speech in te reo Māori, thanking marae kaimahi for the experience – he did an excellent job!
On Monday 29 June, all the international students leaving at the end of Term 2 visited a marae as our farewell trip before returning to our home countries. We were welcomed with a pōwhiri, which is a welcoming ceremony that made us part of their community. After that, we learned about Māori mythology and the meaning of the carvings and artwork in the marae. After sharing a little meal and singing some Māori songs to teach us proper pronunciation, we got to try out different Māori activities like poi.
Finally, we made our way back to school to spend some of our last moments in New Zealand together at a pizza lunch. Visiting a marae was an incredible experience and you could really feel how important the marae is to the community. It was so nice for everyone to come together one last time and spend some time together before saying goodbye at the end of the week.
Charlotte Rossa – Year 13
