Kākano. There’s a seed that is planted in the ground. A seed with endless possibilities, endless chances and experiences laid out before it. This seed, like all seeds, will eventually become a sprout.  This sprout reaches out towards the sun. It twists and it twirls until it's green leaves finally break through the darkness and it catches it's first glimpse of the beauty that is the light of day. 

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This seed has it's entire life to grow and shape into something magnificent, something that may very well change the world one day. You too are like this seed. Brimming with infinite potential, you also have your entire life to sprout. To become someone who is so bright with a curiosity to learn. 

 

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A school is not just a building. It is a place where people become who they are, where seeds learn to grow. To live. To thrive. A school is a home. It welcomes you in with warm smiles and promises of the future, it's spirit so full of life and excitement. 

 

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A whānau is not only a name for those who share your home, but also a name for those who teach. Those who lead. Toki poutangata. Those who nurture. Turuturu. And when a whānau is strong and well, the community that's stretched around it is strong and well. We thrive off each other. We welcome. We love. We learn from each others’ mistakes and achievements.  

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There’s a seed that is planted in the ground. Without our whānau, this seed would not be able to sprout. And without the warmth and light that makes our school whole, neither would you. We all need someone to teach us the values of life. The Pou stand tall on either side of you. Unrelenting. Fierce. They give you the ability you need to not only grow, but to soar. 

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Nau mai haere mai ki te kura nui ō Rototuna. Papaki kau ana ngaa tai o mihi ki a koutou. 

Welcome to Rototuna High School. We’re extending our greetings to you like tides crashing in. Standing before you, we present a remarkable visual representation of the mission for Te Kuranui o Rototuna; nurturing and empowering tamariki to be connected, collaborative, community-minded learners. 

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On either end, we view ngā pākeke, symbolizing the role of whānau, school and wider community with their ability to nurture, protect and challenge the development of tamariki, to become rangatahi or beyond. 

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The masculine pou to your left correlates with the whakataukī, “Ēhara he toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.” Valuing that, my strength is not derived from me alone, it is derived from my community. Rototuna’s feminine pou associates with the whakataukī, “Unuhia te rito o te harakeke, kei hea te kōmako e kō? Ui mai ki ahau, He aha te mea nui o te Ao? Māku e kī atu, He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.” If you remove the central shoot of the flax bush, where will the bellbird find rest? If you were to ask me, what is the most important thing in the world, I would reply, it is people, it is people, it is people. 

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The placement of these pou represent the significant idea of Pā Harakeke. On either side of the child pou, adults are there to nurture, protect, raise and strengthen. Therefore, when the whānau is strong and well, the community will thrive. The child pou in the center embodies the whakataukī, “E kore au e ngaro, he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea.” Defining, I will never be lost, I am a seed sown in the Rangiātea. The child knows where they originate from so with the support of close relations, will be able to develop as a learner in every aspect, ultimately leading to the advancement of their identity. When our tamariki know who they are, they have the strength to achieve their aspirations.

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By Brenna Creahan and Maddison Hayes