Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2026

Māori Language Week at St Ignatius

Māori Language Week was a wonderful celebration of te reo Māori and Māori culture at St Ignatius. The week began with a special Mass on Monday, bringing our school community together in prayer and reflection.

Throughout the week, students and staff had the opportunity to participate in poi making and flax weaving activities during lunchtime. These hands-on activities created a great opportunity for students to learn about traditional Māori practices while enjoying time together.

We also had the privilege of sharing hāngi tasters with some of our Year 9 students and staff. This was a lovely way to experience and appreciate traditional Māori kai. 

This year, our Year 9 ākonga worked through the unit “He aha te utu?”  What is the cost?. They explored traditional and modern hāngi practices, worked through budgets, and considered what it actually costs to put on a hāngi. To bring the learning to life for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, our Year 9s helped prepare, cook and serve a hāngi for the entire Year 9 cohort and our staff. There weren’t too many leftovers at the end of the day as it was tino reka!

Overall, the week went really well, with great participation and enthusiasm from our students and staff. It was a meaningful opportunity to celebrate te reo Māori, learn about Māori culture, and strengthen our school community.