Saint Peter Chanel (Hato Petera Haniera) students are stepping beyond the classroom to help make te reo Māori a living part of everyday life in Motueka.
Today (Monday, 14 September), the school's Year 7 and 8 students will set up outside the Motueka District Museum, inviting members of the public to stop for a kōrero and practise their te reo Māori, whether that's a simple greeting or a basic conversation.
The Village Cafe has offered their covered outdoor space as a wet-weather alternative.
The initiative marks the start of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) and is part of the Te Reo Towns project.
Year 7 and 8 teacher Johnna Alborn says Saint Peter Chanel was one of just 19 schools nationwide to receive funding from Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, the Māori Language Commission.
“We wanted to give the kids an opportunity to use their reo, and feel confident using it,” she explains.
Johnna says the students are not fluent speakers, but the project is about building confidence with basic language skills, encouraging conversations with people they do not already know and helping others learn along the way.
She has also contacted mana whenua to see if representatives are available to stop by and support the students on the day.
All of this helps emphasise that te reo Māori is a living language, Johnna says.
“We don’t just learn it at school – there are people in our community who use it every day.”
Johnna and her students are supported by Sean Delany, who has been pivotal in establishing the school's kapa haka group.
“Ko te reo Māori te waka e kawe ai te Māoritanga - the Māori language is the vessel that carries the Māori culture and values,” says Sean.
“This is an important proverb that illustrates the importance of teaching te reo Māori within our local kura. It also impresses on the future generations, the concept of ‘the Treaty in action’.”
The students have also utilised the $1350 funding to design posters tailored to local businesses, which contain relevant kupu/words and sentences. Each poster includes a QR code linking to recordings of students pronouncing the words and phrases. The resources will be distributed to businesses this week.
“Hopefully, people start to think about how they can incorporate te reo in their everyday conversations,” Johnna says.
“It’s just about the kids being the catalyst for that.”
