Matariki at Whakarongotai Marae.

On Thursday 2nd of June my school went down to Whakarongotai Marae to celebrate Matariki. Unfortunately my teacher Mr Corlett was ill, so Miss Lumsden was in the class. Miss Lumsden took the role then we walked over to the Marae. When we got there me and the kapa haka group entered the Marae.

We put our bags behind a statue and got into our lines. Then the powhiri started, one of the people at the marae started to do a chant in Maori. Then the group of waikanae school people, led slowly by Miss Lake and three others who were carrying our tukutuku panels responded, by Miss Lake who also did a Maori chant. Then the kapa haka group and me performed te waka and Mr Campbell presented the Marae people with a small rectangle thing that had pictures of the tukutuku panels. Then some of the adults did a hongi with the Marae people. Then we went back to school, had our morning tea and lunch.

After that we went back to the Marae and did the activities that were there. I walked around with my friend Chloe. We looked inside the Wharenui, then we went and looked at Miss Gundermans helicopters, then we looked at the paper folding place, then we looked at the colouring place but we decided we’d make lanterns instead. When I was just finishing someone came and told us that the class was waiting by the gate. Chloe hadn’t finished though she insisted she bring everything she needed to finish. While I was walking me and a person spotted a car with the number plate I l1ke beef. When we got back we had two stories, in the middle of the second one someone came around to tell us that the kapa haka people who would definitely be performing at mahara gallery were having a practice. When the practice was finished we found that they weren’t there, Grayce and Cara who were there told us they’d gone to the top field. But they weren’t there so we went to the court outside rooms 18 and 19. Though I didn’t feel like playing, so I just watched. When the bell rung Miss Lumsden said a mini goodbye then we went got our bags and went home.      

By Jessie :)