Taonga | Our Treasures
Te Kura Tātahi o Waihī | Waihī Beach School is privileged to care for taonga | treasures that have been gifted to our kura | school for learning, sharing and education.
Alongside these taonga are stories, language and knowledge carried through karakia, waiata, pūrākau and whakataukī. Together, they help connect our tamariki | children with the people, places, stories and values that are part of our kura.
Te Reo Māori | Māori Language
At Te Kura Tātahi o Waihī | Waihi Beach School we believe te reo Māori (Māori language) is a taonga | treasure that we have an active role in protecting, nurturing, enjoying and growing. We see our learning community as important in securing a stable future for the language and we have our ongoing commitment to te reo Māori is reflected as a Level 3 Māori language level school. This means we commit to hearing, feeling and seeing te reo Māori throughout the kura.
Tūhua | Mayor Island
Kaumātua | elders of Te Whānau a Tauwhao hapū | our local tribe have shared with us the importance of Tūhua | Mayor Island as an enduring link and contributing aspect to our whakapapa | genealogy at Te Kura Tātahi o Waihī. Tūhua has been a part of our logo, as it anchors our direction and intent for learning in our community. Our Y6 tamariki visit Tūhua Island each year and in 2021 were gifted a piece of ‘tūhua’ from the island for our kura which contributes to uplift the mauri | life force of our school.
Tokotoko | Talking Stick
A Tokotoko is a ceremonial carved walking stick which depict a representation of a tūpuna | ancestor or a pakiwaitara | story of significance.
During our Y5/6 Camp at Waitomo in 2022, we
were humbled by a local Waitomo carver, Danny Lurman who, after talking with
our tamariki, parents and kaiako at the Waitomo museum, gifted a Tokotoko to
our kura. This Tokotoko tells the pūrakau | cultural narrative of the
connection between Hauraki and Waitomo - the marriage between Uekaha (the
carved figure at the top of the tokotoko) and Hinerangi (the carved figure in
the middle of the tokotoko).
It is said that when Hinerangi grew into her
teens, her mother decided it was time for her to be sent to Waitomo to meet the
terms of utu | revenge for the death of her mother’s husband Maniatakamaiwaho
at the hands of her father Tuteaomarama. She was instructed to go to the top of
Mt. Te Aroha to look across the land where she would see two limestone rocks.
She is to travel to these rocks and she will find her husband in a cave beneath
the limestone.
En route from Mt Te Aroha to Waitomo, she had
only one thought in mind which was to complete her mission to become Uekaha’s
wife. She crossed the Mangapu River and waded through the Piha and Repo swamps,
to arrive at her destination where she found Uekaha.
Uekaha was a very old man, domiciled in a cave
at the head of the Repo swamp in Waitomo. He was surrounded by koiwi which was
a responsibility of his to clean and paint with ochre before depositing them in
a final burial place. Uekaha asked what she was doing there and Hinerangi’s
reply was that she had been sent by her mother to become his wife. He said that
he was much too old and ugly for her. But Hinerangi replied that her mission
was to become his wife. As a result of their union, peace was made between the
two tribes.
Our tokotoko taonga will ensure that this
story is remembered and passed on to our future generations, to remember the
story of its origin.
Taonga Puoro:
Pūmoana and Pūrerehua | wind instruments
Taonga Puoro comes to us from the realm of the
winds and the air.
Pū means to blow gently and moana means ocean.
The smaller pūmoana was gifted to us by Nanny Linda Braddock, a kuia from Te
Whānau a Tauwhao ki Otawhiwhi marae.
The other pūmoana belongs to Matua Chris, Pāpā
of Heretana and Rangiwhakaea Turner. It is the brother of the other pūmoana and
was gifted to Matua Chris on a very special birthday of his. At the moment,
Matua Chris has allowed us to take care of and use, until such time it is to
return back to their whānau.
The four pūrerehua were gifted by the Appleton
whānau. The timber is rimu and the cord is muka made of harakeke. A trip to
Mauao for a Matariki workshop inspired the Tipuranga rōpu to make their own
pūrerehua. The Appleton whānau played a major role in the success of this
project of how these four pūrerehua came to be. Two of these pūrerehua were
gifted to the kaiako of Tipuranga at that time.
Tokotoko | Talking Stick
A Tokotoko is a ceremonial carved walking stick which depict a representation of a tūpuna | ancestor or a pakiwaitara | story of significance.
During our Y5/6 Camp at Waitomo in 2022, we
were humbled by a local Waitomo carver, Danny Lurman who, after talking with
our tamariki, parents and kaiako at the Waitomo museum, gifted a Tokotoko to
our kura. This Tokotoko tells the pūrakau | cultural narrative of the
connection between Hauraki and Waitomo - the marriage between Uekaha (the
carved figure at the top of the tokotoko) and Hinerangi (the carved figure in
the middle of the tokotoko).
It is said that when Hinerangi grew into her
teens, her mother decided it was time for her to be sent to Waitomo to meet the
terms of utu | revenge for the death of her mother’s husband Maniatakamaiwaho
at the hands of her father Tuteaomarama. She was instructed to go to the top of
Mt. Te Aroha to look across the land where she would see two limestone rocks.
She is to travel to these rocks and she will find her husband in a cave beneath
the limestone.
En route from Mt Te Aroha to Waitomo, she had
only one thought in mind which was to complete her mission to become Uekaha’s
wife. She crossed the Mangapu River and waded through the Piha and Repo swamps,
to arrive at her destination where she found Uekaha.
Uekaha was a very old man, domiciled in a cave
at the head of the Repo swamp in Waitomo. He was surrounded by koiwi which was
a responsibility of his to clean and paint with ochre before depositing them in
a final burial place. Uekaha asked what she was doing there and Hinerangi’s
reply was that she had been sent by her mother to become his wife. He said that
he was much too old and ugly for her. But Hinerangi replied that her mission
was to become his wife. As a result of their union, peace was made between the
two tribes.
Our tokotoko taonga will ensure that this
story is remembered and passed on to our future generations, to remember the
story of its origin.
Taonga Puoro:
Pūmoana and Pūrerehua | wind instruments
Taonga Puoro comes to us from the realm of the
winds and the air.
Pū means to blow gently and moana means ocean.
The smaller pūmoana was gifted to us by Nanny Linda Braddock, a kuia from Te
Whānau a Tauwhao ki Otawhiwhi marae.
The other pūmoana belongs to Matua Chris, Pāpā
of Heretana and Rangiwhakaea Turner. It is the brother of the other pūmoana and
was gifted to Matua Chris on a very special birthday of his. At the moment,
Matua Chris has allowed us to take care of and use, until such time it is to
return back to their whānau.
The four pūrerehua were gifted by the Appleton
whānau. The timber is rimu and the cord is muka made of harakeke. A trip to
Mauao for a Matariki workshop inspired the Tipuranga rōpu to make their own
pūrerehua. The Appleton whānau played a major role in the success of this
project of how these four pūrerehua came to be. Two of these pūrerehua were
gifted to the kaiako of Tipuranga at that time.
Taonga Puoro
Pūmoana and Pūrerehua | wind instruments
Taonga Puoro comes to us from the realm of the winds and the air.
Pū means to blow gently and moana means ocean. The smaller pūmoana was gifted to us by Nanny Linda Braddock, a kuia from Te Whānau a Tauwhao ki Otawhiwhi marae.
The other pūmoana belongs to Matua Chris, Pāpā of Heretana and Rangiwhakaea Turner. It is the brother of the other pūmoana and was gifted to Matua Chris on a very special birthday of his. At the moment, Matua Chris has allowed us to take care of and use, until such time it is to return back to their whānau.
The four pūrerehua were gifted by the Appleton whānau. The timber is rimu and the cord is muka made of harakeke. A trip to Mauao for a Matariki workshop inspired the Tipuranga rōpu to make their own pūrerehua. The Appleton whānau played a major role in the success of this project of how these four pūrerehua came to be. Two of these pūrerehua were gifted to the kaiako of Tipuranga at that time.
Sin Sang Bear
We value our international connections and relationships and host students and visitors from across the world. During a host experience in 2024, Kaohsiung Municipal Sin-Sang Elementary School, Taiwan, gifted a Sin-Sang Bear which represents Peace and Happiness between our two schools. Our collaboration reflects cultural exchange and harmony, friendship and educational outcomes for both schools.
Pepeha
Te Kura Tātahi o Waihī | Waihī Beach School
Ko Te kura Tātahi o Waihī te kura
Ko Hikurangi te maunga
Ko Mataatua te waka
Ko Toroa te tangata
Ko Tūhua te moutere
Ko Te Moana-a-Toi me Tauranga ngā moana
Ko Ngāi Te Rangi te iwi.
Karakia
Karakia timatanga
Whakataka te hau ki te uru,
Whakataka te hau ki te tonga.
Kia mākinakina ki uta,
Kia mātaratara ki tai.
E hī ake ana te atākura
he tio, he huka, he hauhu
Tihei mauri ora
He Karakia Whakakapi
Kia whakairia te tapu
Kia wātea ai te ara
Kia turuki whakataha ai
Kia turuki whakataha ai
Haumi e. Hui e. Tāiki e!
Karakia mō te Kai – Blessing of Food
Nau mai e ngā hua
o te wao,
o te ngakina,
o te wai tai,
o te wai Māori.
Nā Tāne
Nā Rongo
Nā Tangaroa
Nā Maru
Ko Ranginui e tū iho nei
Ko Papatūānuku e takoto nei
Tūturu whakamaua kia tina! TINA!
Hāumi ē! Hui ē! TĀIKI Ē!
Ko wai mātou? Ko te kura tātahi o Waihī
Kei te noho te whare kura ki te taha o te moana
Ko Hikurangi (TE MAUNGA!) Ko Tauranga (TE MOANA!)
Ko Mataatua te waka o te whenua, Ko Ngāi te Rangi (TE IWI!)
Ko Tuhua (TE MOUTERE!)
Ānei mātou, karawhiua atu
‘Whakatipu ratonga te matauranga kounga,
Kei roto he whakaruru nga me tiakina taiao’
Ānei mātou, karawhiua atu
Te Kura Tātahi o Waihī!
Get ready for the westerly
and be prepared for the southerly.
It will be icy cold inland,
and icy cold on the shore.
May the dawn rise red-tipped on ice,
on snow, on frost.
Restrictions are moved aside
So the pathways is clear
To return to everyday activities
Karakia mō te Kai – Blessing of Food
Welcome the gifts of food
from the sacred forests
from the cultivated gardens
from the sea
from the fresh waters
The food of Tāne
of Rongo
of Tangaroa
of Maru
I acknowledge the sky father who is above me,
the earth mother who lies beneath me
Let this be my commitment to all!
Draw together! Affirm!
Whakataukī
Te amorangi ki mua, te hāpai ō ki muri
The leader at the front and the workers behind the scenes.
Ma whero, ma pango, ka oti ai te mahi
With red and black the work will be complete
E tipu e rea mo ngā rā o tō ao
Grow up and thrive for the days destined to you
Ngā kākano, te tipuranga, te puāwaitanga
We support growth and development
Te Manawataki o te hapori
We contribute to the heartbeat of community
Hāpaitia tōu mana, manaaki te katoa
We elevate mana by uplifting all others
Tukua kia tū takitahi ngā whetū o te rangi
We aspire to let each star in the sky shine its own light
Whāia te pae tawhiti
We are always exploring new horizons
Kia Tū Rangatira Ai
We encourage standing in individual strengths.
He toka tū moana
A rock standing firm in the sea
Mā te korowai aroha, Ka puawai ngā tangata
Through enveloping people with respect/ appreciation. People will flourish.