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Kia Manawaroa Friday August 12 2022
 

Kia ora e te whānau, e mihi ana ki a koutou katoa.

In this issue of Kia Manawaroa, we’re excited to bring you the newly confirmed dates for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2022!

Do you know someone who is passionate about te taiao? BLAKE New Zealand is looking for 11 rangatahi to become ambassadors to send on incredible environmental experiences in Aotearoa and Antarctica.

Are you learning te reo Māori? Would you like some support? We check out Rongo, offering realtime feedback on your pronunciation through a simple and easy to use app.

We share a new resource from Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education called Kua Tupu Au, designed to support tamariki as they begin their learning journey into kura and school.

Plus, we shine a light on Te Awarua, the new support hub which has been set up to support Māori students at the Porirua Whitireia campus.

We celebrate a pay equity settlement that will result in kaiārahi i te reo Māori around the motu receiving significant pay rises for their important mahi.

Finally, we tell you how you can get free face masks in the COVID-19 section, and the usual details on how to access free counselling and other helpful info in the Whānau Wellbeing and Support section.

Don’t forget, you can still ask questions and have your say on the Refresh of Te Marautanga (Māori-medium curriculum for schooling) through a series of online webinars: find a webinar and register here. 

We hope you enjoy this issue of Kia Manawaroa! If you’ve got any feedback or story ideas you’d like to share with us, check out the Kia Manawaroa feedback form or email kia.manawaroa@education.govt.nz. 

And as always, please share us with your whānau and friends and encourage them to subscribe for the latest pānui straight to their inbox!

Nā mātou, te tīma o Kia Manawaroa

P.S a heads up for those of us with kids in years 9-13: some kura and schools will be holding a Teacher Only Day at some point next week (15-26 August), so you may want to check in to see if you need to make alternative arrangements.
In this issue:

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2022 dates confirmed



Save the date e hoa mā - Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori has announced the official dates for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2022!

Māori Language Week celebrates the presentation of the Māori Language Petition to parliament on the 14th September 1972, and has been marked every year since 1975.

This year, Māori Language Week will run from Monday 12th September – Sunday 18th September.

Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori says the theme will be ‘Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori’ and that celebrations will be bigger than ever, so stay tuned for updates!

Find out more about Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori
 

Become a BLAKE Ambassador



Former Ambassadors out in the field. Photo credit: BLAKE NZ.

Do you know a rangatahi aged 18-25 who is passionate about the environment and wants to contribute to environmental projects in Aotearoa and Antarctica?

The search is on for a diverse group of 11 rangatahi to become BLAKE Ambassadors, and work alongside NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmosphere), GNS Science, Antarctica NZ, and the Department of Conservation to solve some of the biggest environmental problems of today.

Ambassadors will be based in Aotearoa and Antarctica and will undertake programmes designed to advance their understanding of current environmental challenges, and their leadership skills to drive positive change in this space.

BLAKE was established in 2004 to remember Sir Peter Blake, New Zealand’s most celebrated yachtsman and champion for the environment, by continuing his environmental leadership legacy.

Applications are open now until 26 August 2022. Karawhiua mai!

Find out more about the BLAKE Ambassadors programme | BLAKE Ambassadors

Rongo – Te reo Māori pronunciation app




Launched last month by Te Hiku Media, Rongo is here to help users pronounce te reo Māori correctly. 

For many people speaking Māori correctly can be overwhelming and one of the hardest parts of learning te reo Māori.

Rongo is an aural-first experience, combining traditional Māori teaching methods such as listening then repeating to create the learning environment. Rongo provides real-time feedback with 24 lessons designed to improve te reo Māori pronunciation. 

The user is challenged first to listen carefully then to imitate the correct pronunciation. The words will only appear on screen as extra support and the written list of phrases will be available to the student at the end of the lesson.

The method was seen as very effective in a study at the University of Otago where first year students in Māori performing arts were taught waiata and haka in the dark. Findings revealed increased improvement and retention with kupu, as well as excellent pronunciation. This was viewed as an amazing result considering most of the students were also visiting international students.

Peter-Lucas Jones, CEO of Te Hiku Media says, “Te Hiku Media is excited about getting this tool into the hands of Māori language learners. They can tackle pronunciation in the privacy of their own home, in the car or by the beach. Wherever they feel comfortable and safe.”

Download Rongo in the Google Play store
Download Rongo in the Apple App store

Kua Tupu Au: resource to support tamariki transition into kura 




Kua Tupu Au is the new resource to help you support your tamaiti in their transition from kōhanga, puna, or ECE as they begin their journey into school.

Similar to the popular kēmu, Fortune Teller, which aims to find out what tamariki already know and what they might still need to know to be prepared for kura or school.

We know that some tamariki are excited about going to kura whilst others might find this time challenging. 

Kua Tupu Au is a fun learning game – available in te reo Māori and English – to support your child to feel that they belong on this learning journey. 

Me maumahara whānau mā; e mua kai kai, e muri kai hūare! The early bird catches the worm!

Find out more about Kua Tupu Au | Te Whāriki Online

Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira and Whitireia partner up to support ākonga Māori



Waiana Tagata, Rangi Piwari, and Jarom Hippolite are here to help ākonga Māori through Te Awarua. Credit: Whitireia.

A new learning centre called Te Awarua has been launched to support Māori students at Whitireia (Porirua Campus) in partnership with Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira.

The focus will be on supporting the development and success of ākonga Māori by providing academic, pastoral, cultural, and mentoring support, as well as advocacy when needed.

Located in Te Kete Wānanga building at the Porirua campus, Te Awarua is part of an active partnership between Whitireia and Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira.

“Ngāti Toa understands the power of education to transform lives and we are excited about this initiative in collaboration with Whitireia,” says Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira CEO, Helmut Modlik.

The name Te Awarua comes from Te Awarua o Parirua – the name of the local taniwha who is said to have lived near Mana and created the distinctive shape of Te Mana o Kupe ki Aotearoa (Mana Island).

Te Awarua Manager, Jarom Hippolite, grew up just down the road from where the Porirua campus is now, and has done similar work with another of his iwi, Ngāti Koata, in the environmental space.

Jarom also happens to be a friend of the Kia Manawaroa team, having left us recently to take up this exciting new role!

Jarom will be supported by Te Ariki Wi Neera, the current Pou Whakamanawa at Whitireia; Waiana Tagata, who has an Advanced Diploma in Performing Arts from Whitireia and is co-founder of the Heilani Polynesian School of Arts in Australia; and Rangi Piwari who is a former technology tutor at Whitireia and is currently working at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Jarom and the team understand the value of having someone who can help ākonga along their learning journey, understand their background and barriers – someone who genuinely wants them to succeed.

“We have a welcoming space where ākonga can come to share with us how we can best help them gain their qualifications and follow their dreams,” says Jarom.

How to connect with Te Awarua

If you or your rangatahi attend the Porirua campus and would like to access this support, you can find the team at Te Kete Wānanga on Level 2 on weekdays, or email maoristudentsupport@whitireia.ac.nz
 

Kaiārahi i te reo to receive pay equity for important mahi 



Victory Primary School support worker Āwhina Kihi (left) signing the Better Funding Better Learning petition, with principal Helen Taylor-Young and deputy principal Glenda Rapley in 2017. Credit: Stuff.co.nz

Kaiārahi i te reo Māori around the motu will be celebrating after a pay equity claim was settled recently, resulting in significant pay rises for those working in these roles.

The settlement means more than 80 kaiārahi i te reo - mostly wāhine Māori - will be fairly valued and paid for the work they do, with pay increases of up to 83 percent. As an example, a kaiārahi i te reo who is currently earning $23.03 per hour would see their income rise to $41.31 per hour.

Āwhina Kihi, kaiārahi i te reo at Malfroy School in Rotorua, says the settlement, will be "life changing".

"It will be hugely significant for all of Aotearoa but specifically for myself and my whānau, hapū, iwi. 

“I would like to acknowledge all of those who have gone before me…I am a product of my ancestors and my environment, and it is my responsibility to ensure the knowledge, culture and language that has been given to me, lives on for future generations,” says Āwhina.

For Āwhina, this settlement also offers financial stability for her and her whānau.

“We are able to have our dream home and papakainga built… our tamariki mokopuna will always have a place of their own.”

The role of a kaiārahi i te reo

Kaiārahi i te reo support the development of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori in schools and kura. They also have an important role in strengthening relationships between the school, iwi, hapū, marae, and local community. 

For example, kaiārahi i te reo create and deliver lessons on regional pūrākau and pakiwaitara, te reo Māori, Kapa Haka, and literacy. 

Find kaiārahi i te reo jobs | Education Gazette website
Learn more about pay equity and the kaiārahi i te reo claim



Aotearoa is at the Orange Traffic Light setting 

Aotearoa is currently in the Orange Setting in the Traffic Light system. At Orange, the basic guidelines are:   

  • All ākonga in year 4 and over are strongly encouraged to wear face masks at kura and school
  • All ākonga aged 12 years or over must wear face masks on public and school transport.
  • All playgroups, early learning centres, kura and schools, and tertiary institutions can open.

More about life at Orange
More about the Traffic Light system
How and when you should self-isolate

Get free face masks

You can get free medical face masks by:

  • picking them up from testing centres and collection points alongside your free rapid antigen tests (RATs)
  • visiting a participating pharmacy
  • talking to a participating GP or alternative community healthcare provider.

How to order free Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) | Ministry of Health
Find a list of testing locations with free face masks | Health Point

If you’re not able to order RATs online or visit a participating healthcare provider in person, call 0800 222 478 and select option 3.
 
Free P2/N95 particulate respirator masks

In addition to medical masks, P2/N95 particulate respirator masks are also available from the providers mentioned. These masks will be prioritised for those people at higher risk of severe illness if they contract COVID-19. This includes people:

  • with compromised immunity
  • with high-risk medical conditions
  • who are older
  • who live in aged care facilities
  • who are pregnant
  • with a disability
  • who live with mental health conditions or addictions
  • of Māori and Pacific ethnicity
  • who smoke.

Find out more about ‘Higher risk people’ | Ministry of Health

General information about COVID-19  

Check out the links below for more information about getting vaccinated, and managing COVID-19 in your whānau or household:  

Book a vaccination online
General COVID-19 support
Create an isolation timeline
Vaccine questions answered
Research and data on vaccinating 5-11 year olds
Research and data on vaccinating young people aged 12-15

Whānau wellbeing and support

Your wellbeing – and that of your whānau – is the most important thing of all. Remember, you can't look after anyone else if you're not looking after yourself. If you feel like you might need support, please don't struggle alone. It’s braver to reach out than it is to suffer in silence.  

Call or text 1737 for 24/7 access to a free, trained counsellor or check out the links below for more options:  

Where to go for help
Top ways to look after your mental wellbeing
Download the services and support contacts sheet
We want your feedback about Kia Manawaroa

Do you have a story idea or some feedback you'd like to share with us? Whakapā mai, we would love to hear from you! Your feedback and story ideas are key to making sure Kia Manawaroa has the information you want to know about.

Please send us your feedback through the One Minute Kia Manawaroa feedback form
Story ideas can be sent to Kia.Manawaroa@education.govt.nz
Kia Manawaroa is the Ministry of Education pānui for whānau Māori with children enrolled in the education system.

Contact us at Kia.Manawaroa@education.govt.nz
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