Maori and Pasifika

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Tēnā Koutou Katoa

Ko Ohuiarangi te maunga
Ko Owairoa te awa
Ko Tainui te iwi
Ko Mellons Bay te Kura

Tēnā Koutou

Mellons Bay School is proud of our committment to Te Reo Māori and Tikanga Māori. We provide extensive enrichment opportunities as well as assimilate it into our everyday classroom routine.

Our goal is to provide our students with the knowledge to be able to converse in basic Te Reo Māori and we hope to instill an interest in the culture.

Our enrichment programmes for our Māori and Pasifika students enable our tamariki to participate as Māori and Pacifica. It also maintains a high level of hauora (well-being).
Our intended outcomes for these programmes are that we want our Māori and Pasifika students to feel empowered to be leaders in our school. We want our Māori and Pasifika students to appreciate their heritage and appreciate the uniqueness of their cultures.

Mellons Bay School Pepeha

Pepeha is used in a Māori context and has a formal basis, but the idea is universal. Everyone has a pepeha which links them to their ancestors. It's like a story that connects you to your waka, your hapū and iwi. It identifies important places like your maunga, awa and marae.

Please click here to view our Pepeha

Our School Mural

MBS Maori and Pasifica Mural

The Story of Our Mural

Our school pepeha is represented in the mural.

Ko Ohuirangi te maunga- Pigeon mountain is the mountain
Ko Owairoa te moana- Owairoa is the sea
Ko Tainui te waka- Tainui is the canoe
Ko Mellons Bay te kura- Mellons Bay is the school

Following the waka are the Kaitiaki (guardians) who protect the local waters. In this area from Beachlands/Maraetai is the shark (mangō) and the blue whale (wēra) to the Tamaki river where they have the eagle ray (whai repo). In Mellons bay we have the seahorse (kiore moana)as our kaitiaki. The Tainui waka had two dolphins (aihe) which followed it everywhere.

Our school ngahere (bush) is represented by the strength of the great kauri surrounded by native plants and trees particularly the pohutukawa and harakeke (flax bush)
In the ngahere (bush) is our manu (birds) represented by the tūī, ruru (owl), piwaiwaka (fantail),huia.

Our kura (school) is represented by the whare (house). Kupe is the koruru (chief) at the top. Our schools 4Cs are represented as kowhaiwhai patterns on the maihi (arms) and amo (upright supports). Creative (Auaha), Confident (Māia), Communicative (Kōrero) and Connected (Tūhono). On the roro (porch) sits the three baskets of knowledge- These represent our school motto- Explore (Toroa), Challenge (Pātaihia), Learn (Ākona). On the inside wall is a korowai (cloak). It's tartan colour represents our schools uniqueness.

Te Rā is dominant in the sky. He is supported by marama (moon) and the Matariki constellaton.

Finally in the ocean the green represents the strong pounamu (Greenstone) colour of our school.

Brainstorming - Creating the Vision for the Mural

A vision statement was prepared with the help of the staff to represent our bi-culturalism, history, school values and local environment (bush, sea, land, mountains).

(Māori influence within our school)

Students selected to develop ideas for the mural were:

Jaden Chandler Sophia Ehrhart
Liam Ellison Sophie Hazel
Noah Halligan Sanaeya Mehra
Holly Mellor Rebecca Montofre-Sandoval
Annabelle Olsen Ben Oxford
Ruby Purvis Brya Sandford
Abby Snooks Hannah Upfold
Kyla van Schaik Leni Webster
Gemma Williams Yoyo Zheng

Wednesday 16 November 2016 students spent the day planning and being inspired
Pam Speight and Donna Webster took all students to the Whare o Matariki on Uxbridge Road. Whaea Taini and Karen spent time discussing with the students the history of the Howick/Mellons Bay area. The story of the Tainui waka. They looked at different aspect of Whare, talked about panels, kowhaiwhai panels, the cloaks and what they represent, the significant of the colours (their's is yellow, rā the sun, ours will be green), discussed Matariki stars, New Zealand. Looked in the Ngahere, discussed different trees and birds.
Opportunity to take photos, touch, and ask questions.
Once back at school Pam Speight, Donna Webster and Ingrid Holland took the students for a brainstorming session and photos from the trip were printed out.
Using the group brainstorms, we collated into one with the main ideas we wanted included in our mural.
Donna Webster started sketching out a mural design which we used as an example for the students
Ingrid Holland and Donna Webster worked with the students that afternoon to draw up a variety of different designs that could be included in the mural.
All ideas and the group brainstorm were given to Paul Walsh and he came up with an overall design
Tuesday 29 November 2016– Paul worked with the students, discussed his overall design and gave them some artistic advice – how to draw is perspective, draw 3D etc
Students then watched Paul sketch out the design using spray paint on the wall.
Paul discussed with the students what he was doing and why.
Students are able to go and watch the mural progress when Paul is in.

Mellons Bay Waiata

Waiata were sung in public to express a range of emotions and to convey messages and experiences. Even today waiata still holds an important role in bringing the past into the present.

Traditional waiata lyrics were a way of recording and passing down knowledge and stories to present generations; knowledge like the historical celebrations and laments of iwi, ancestor and composer. These songs whether sung by individuals or groups were expressions of a shared history between singer(s) and audience.

Please click here to view our waiata.