Students forging a new future identity

What's in a logo? When you think about the purpose of a school crest or logo, you realise that this image is actually a very powerful symbol which represents some key idea, notion or value related to the identity and history of a school.

Papakura High has a logo which of course was designed for the opening of the school in 1954, which portrays an image of Mount Everest. The close connection of Sir Edmund Hillary with the Papakura region has meant a number of schools and organisations have made use of this in their logos and visual features. Accompanying the logo is the Latin motto "Summa pete" meaning "Seek the Highest."  More than half a century has passed since then, and the students of Papakura High, who comprise a very different community to that of the foundation students of Papakura High School, struggle to see any connection with the logo and the Latin motto.

At the beginning of this year, as part of our whanau development, students were elected to form a body which would provide a voice for the students of our school, and which would empower them to take on a role in forging a new identity for our school. This group is known as Te Kaunihera a Akonga -  the Student Council. I see the formation of this student team  as a critical step forward in helping our students take ownership of their school. Over the past months, they have had numerous discussions and brainstormed their ideas about the kinds of images which they think would best suit the Papakura High of today, and into the future. These 30 students (ten  from each whanau) have come up with a wealth of ideas and images. They have been excited about their role in shaping the future, a responsibilty which they greatly appreciate. They understand the importance and value of traditions, but they also want to be part of a future focussed school which will serve both them and the next generation and want the logo to signal this. 

This process has now moved to the next stage - the school has engaged a graphic design firm with experience in this area, to assist a sub-committee of Te Kaunihera a Akonga. In a few weeks the designers, who have been delighted with the input and creativity of our students,  will present them with their first range of images from the concepts discussed. Our students will hugely benefit from their involvement in this iterative process - the learning about the phases of design work. Who knows where this might lead our students in their own future pathway?


The school's logo representing Mt Everest

TE WIKI O TE REO MAORI

Kia ora tatou!
Kua timata te Wiki o te Reo Maori! Kei te mihi ahau ki te reo tuatahi o Aotearoa. He mihi hoki ki a koutou e tautoko ana te kaupapa o te wiki nei.

There are few issues as contentious as the place and role of Maori language in the wider life of Aotearoa New Zealand at this time. Calls for te reo Maori to be compulsory in schools are gathering momentum, and are equally being resisted by certain quarters in our society.

What makes this issue all the more contentious is the fact that this country, compared to most, is remarkably mono-lingual. It is the norm in most countries around the world for two, three or even more languages to be spoken on an every day basis. My observation is that resistance to bilingualism is most fierce on the part of monolingual Kiwis who come from a colonial background, who make up a very large proportion of our society and who believe that English somehow has legitimacy in replacing te reo Maori as the most important language in our country.  This is also reflected in the political views of certain parties and politicians. I've been reading comments in the social media such as "Maori is a dead language," "Learning Maori is a waste of time as it's only spoken in New Zealand," "Non-Maori should be forced to learn Maori."

The reality is otherwise. Te Reo Maori is an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand and has the rights and status to be spoken everywhere, and as such, should be learned by all Kiwis. Te Reo Maori is what distinguishes this country from Australia and other English speaking countries. It is the language of the tangata whenua of our country and should have pride of place as a unique taonga or treasure, to be nurtured and fostered by all. As a Pakeha school principal, it is my special responsibility to ensure that I do everything I can to ensure my school community is committed to this.

In our school context, we will be promoting the learning of te reo Maori in a range of different ways over the next year. We have started to introduce a new culture into the life of our school which incorporates Maori terminology at every level. We have liaised with our local iwi Ngati Tamaoho, who have very kindly provided us with names of great cultural significance to Tainui, for our three whanau.  Our Board of Trustees will be embarked on a language revitalisation programme as well. As the majority of the students in our school are of Maori descent, it is appropriate that their cultural identity is affirmed and enhanced by the school.

Our school marae is a place where te reo Maori is respected, and where powhiri occur, which are conducted entirely in this language, which reflects its importance and and status. We are very fortunate as a school to have this sacred and culturally significant place as the heart of our school.

Te Wiki o te Reo Maori is not just another week in the calendar. It provides a wake up call for our society that it is time that all members of our society acknowledge and embrace this treasure.

No reira, he mihi ano ki tenei taonga tuku iho.

Detail from Te Kahurangi, the wharenui o Papakura High School.

"Under the Bridge"

In February of this year, thanks to a team of investigative journalists from the New Zealand Herald, Papakura High School has been thrust into the forefront of the  media because of a feature film which follows a year in the life of three of our senior students plus myself as the newly appointed Principal.
The film was also preceded by four short promo films focusing on each identity in the film, and then with a 3 day follow up in the printed New Zealand Herald (front page on day 1, highlighting my message of hope for Papakura High School.)

The film can be viewed online at  NZ Herald Under the Bridge
The background to the film and the response to it also make interesting viewing.

One of the unexpected consequences of the film has been the contact which the school has had from former students from all around the world. This has been quite exceptional. In some instances we have received generous gifts from them, with most insisting on anonymity.

We have also had a number of alumni contact the school with a view to setting up an active alumni group and also to setting up a Charitable Trust, whose object is to provide for the well being of Papakura High School students and also to provide enrichment opportunities for them, which the school could never hope to provide out of its means. We are thrilled with this outcome.

The team from the New Zealand Herald and the Papakura High team of Jayden Schell, Robert Downes and Wendy Savieti and I posing after the final shoot for "Under the Bridge"