During the last week of Term 1 we had the pleasure of hosting Keebra Park State High School from Australia.

Keebra Park State High School, a specialist sports school based in Queensland, Australia, is renowned for its strong Rugby League programme and notable alumni such as Benji Marshall. With a diverse student roll that includes many Māori and Pasifika ākonga, the school has proudly established a kapa haka rōpū, Te Puna Mataatahi, as part of its Arts programme.

In a first ever achievement, Te Puna Mataatahi became the first international school in 50 years to perform at ASB Polyfest 2025 in Tāmaki Makaurau. Following this prestigious performance, the rōpū embarked on a haerenga around Aotearoa, where they were warmly welcomed by several kura, including Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu, Rotorua Boys’ High School, Gisborne Girls’ High School, and Mount Maunganui College.

During their visit to our kura, Te Awatea and Kōpara were the proud hosting classes. This was a special opportunity for our Year 10 tēina to connect with and learn from their tuākana, engage in tikanga, and share their own learning from Form time and Te Reo Māori classes. The kōtiro were especially excited to perform the waiata, pao kai, and haka pōwhiri they had been practicing, and to demonstrate manaakitanga through hosting manuhiri.

The day's programme included introducing the students to the game of Kī-o-Rahi led by Kōkā Hana, learning the waiata Paikea with Kōkā Trish, a powerful school wide kapa haka performance, shared kai, and whakawhanaungatanga between ākonga, making for a truly memorable and exciting experience for all.