This term,Te Waka Āko has been learning about the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a founding document of Aotearoa. Together, we have made a treaty for our shared learning space. This treaty reflects the whakataukī ‘He totara wahi rua he kai na te ahi,’ which means ‘A totara split in two is food for the fire’—in other words, unity is strength. Our treaty embodies this idea of unity and partnership, and it reminds us that we are stronger when we work together.
The treaty takes the form of a tree, with four branches representing the four tenets of our school respect code: Respect for ourselves and others, respect for our and other people’s property, respect for our and other’s right to learn, and respect for our and others’ right to be safe. These values are at the heart of our school community, and we are proud to learn beneath the branches of this tree.
We have also woven our three class colours—kowhai for Mānukau, kakariki for Waitematā, and kikorangi for Hauraki—into the roots of the tree. This colourful weaving symbolises the diverse and vibrant community that we have here at Waikowhai Primary School. Each student has signed their name to the weaving to remind us that we all have a role to play in making our school a happy and safe place to learn and grow.
Every ākonga in Te Waka Āko is represented as a leaf on this tree. We have decorated our leaf with symbols of our identity: our culture, passions and whānau, as well as a symbolic representation of one way we will uphold the values of the treaty.
The creation of our treaty tree has been a meaningful and collaborative experience for Te Waka Āko. We have learned about the importance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and have applied its principles to our own school community. As we move forward, we will continue to uphold the values of our treaty and nurture the relationships that make our school community so special.
Mā te wā!