• Bicultural Review carried out by

• Strong leadership to grow and develop our understandings

• Creation of a Bicultural Action plan 2022 - 2026

• Working with manu whenua to build a cultural narrative

• Building a meaningful and positive connection with manu whenua - Mahingatahi and Ahurutanga.

• Applying more Tikanga to the way we operate

• An increase it the visibility of Māori culture and te reo

• More kaupapa ako in all areas of the school - especially in MS

• More PD for staff to improve their knowledge and understanding - Te Reo courses

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The Laying of the Mauri Stone - exert from a newsletter post from Oct 2021...

Before the break of dawn, and as the full moon was setting, Kereama Nathan, a Kaumatua and cultural advisor from Te Herenga Waka O Orewa (the Marae that Kristin has links with in Silverdale), led a very special ceremony to bless the ground before construction of the new Junior School Administration and Welcome Centre commences. The ceremony consisted of the blessing and burial of a special foundation stone – the mauri stone. This was a historic moment; the first time it is believed this ceremony has taken place on Kristin’s campus, as the school moves forward on its journey to honour the bicultural nature of Aotearoa; respecting Māori worldview – te ao Māori, and tikanga – Māori customary practices or behaviours, in the development of the school.

Following advice and guidance from Kaumatua Kereama, Kristin Senior School Outdoor Education students carefully selected a stone from the quarry in Mount Albert, to serve as the mauri stone for the new building. Mount Albert is governed through the Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority in common benefit of the iwi "and all other people of Auckland". They selected a granite stone, to symbolise strength and longevity.

In year 9 we take a course for one semester called tikanga. This taught us about the customs and traditional values of Maori inside and outside of the classroom. We learnt about the Maori holidays that we celebrate like Matariki and the Treaty of Waitangi. From this we gained an understanding on what we were actually celebrating and where it originated from. I enjoyed playing and learning about Māori games like knuckle bones, string games, ti rakau and more. In addition to this we got to make our own poi and learn how to flax weave. Overall from this course we have gained a better understanding and appreciation for Maori culture - Written by Isla Gilby, Year 9 Student

Tikanga Māori day was an interesting experience centred around Maori culture for Year 8. The activities consisted of Mr Mataio teaching the boys a haka, Mrs Kovacevic and Mrs Cowell teaching the girls a routine using Maori poi, and Madame Simpson taught us a string game. It was less of a game and more of a display of how Maori may have woven. Mrs Backhouse-Smith taught a Maori floor dance featuring sticks tapped on the floor in a rhythmic pattern. Mrs Underdown taught us the actions of the waiata Haere Mai, which was pretty fun.

Then for the last part of our Tikanga Maori day, all previous lessons culminated into one performance. We started with all students reciting Haere Mai with the newly learnt actions, then the boys performed the Haka we learnt earlier, the girls performed their Poi-oriented dance routine, and finally the stick dance. Lastly, we finished off the day with some well-deserved thanks to everyone who helped put this day together, and an ending Karakia. Overall this was a very enjoyable experience and I personally learned a lot more about Maori culture. - Written by Yr 8 Student Sam Clews

Since 2020 Kristin has been building a stronger connection to our local iwi, with guidance and support from our own Māori teacher, Ms Underdown. They have been incredibly welcoming, inclusive and supportive of our Kristin whanau, giving us guidance, support and confidence to continue on our journey of respecting Te Tiriti and embedding bicultural values in what we do.

Our new Bicutlural action plan and Māori Cultural Narrative was developed with guidence from Raewyn Harrison (cultural advisor) supported by the late Matua Pat Ruka and his successor Kaumātua Tipene (Steve) Paul. We aim to make contact each term, and continue to foster relationships.

I talked to Ms Underdown on the 23rd of June about Māori perspectives at Kristin. She helped us greatly to understand how Kristin is Evolving into EnviroSchool Green-gold. So far, she thinks we are doing better at incorporating Māori perspectives into the school than we were at our silver reflection. The main question she was answering was To what extent do our practices reflect Māori ways of doing things? We still have things we can do to improve but we feel as if our position has changed beneficially.

- Written by Yr 11 student, Bryher Bailie

At Kristin we are developing a school culture that is breathing, and practising as Te Tiriti partners/ as authentically bicultural. This includes gathering and documenting the stories of our place (Little Doves/ Kristin/ local area/ Aotearoa/NZ) to build our kete. Why?

To learn to tell oral stories well and to use the oral storytelling richly and to value and honour storytelling through investing time and energy documenting and articulating the value of storytelling, collecting stories, sharing awareness with families of the power of stories and storytelling.

Since 2020, Kristin Staff have been taking up the offer of learning Te Reo with the organisation Poutawa. They have been fantastic at offering both in person and on Zoom Te Reo course - with staff from ALL schools and many support staff taking up this awesome opportunity.

Since 2020, over 30 staff have completed either Level 1 or Level 2 of the course - and we are all using Te Reo more in our classrooms. One highlight for me, was beginning to speak Reo in sentences - and being able to respond to a question such as 'kei te pehae koe?