Ō Tātou Uaratanga Our Values
Te Tātoru o Wairau: Whiria te Mauri
Weave the mauri and combine to achieve the purpose.
The design, development and construction of the three new schools is based on a set of values shared by local iwi...
Whakapapa
Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua
I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past.
Whakapapa reinforces the connections between all of us, and to our tūpuna, atua and tūrangawaewae. Whakapapa shapes our endeavours as we strive to better understand and contribute to the mātauranga continuum that binds us to one another across the generations.
Te Reo Māori
Ko taku reo taku ohooho, ko taku reo taku mapihi mauria
My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul.
Te Reo is a taonga which we have inherited from our tūpuna. Not only is it an invaluable source of enlightenment and innovation but it is intimately connected with mātauranga, carrying valuable clues about the way our tūpuna understood and experienced the world. The acquisition, maintenance, promotion and revival of te reo Māori is a priority.
Ūkaipō
He ihu whenua, he ihu tangata.
‘A canoe bow, a headland.’
This saying expresses the satisfaction and perhaps relief on safely reaching the landing place. It likens the canoe and headland to the human noses which press together in the hongi of greeting. (Best 1915:151. Ngā pepeha a ngā tūpuna. Pg 73)
Ūkaipō reinforces schools as a place of comfort, nourishment, inspiration and learning. The schools are of primary importance in connecting with mātauranga. We should ensure that we are fully engaged with our marae and endeavour to create a similar environment at our schools.
Kaitiakitanga
Whatungarongaro te tangata toitū te whenua.
As people disappear from sight, the land remains.
Kaitiakitanga requires Te Tātoru o Wairau to nurture and protect its people and its place; and to preserve and enrich those things that we have inherited from generations past. It demands that we employ our resources wisely, ensuring that their utilisation contributes to our viability and reputation.
Manaakitanga
Kia atawhaitia i te tangata i muri i ahau, kia pai te noho.
Be kind to all peoples, live well.
Manaakitanga provides us with endless opportunities to engage with people, individually and collectively. We need to ensure that all of our activities are conducted in a way that is mana enhancing of all those involved and reflects values such as generosity, fairness, respect and consideration. A favourable view formed by others suggests the presence of manaakitanga.
Rangatiratanga
Kia ai he tā kōtuku ki roto o te nohoanga pahī, kia tau ai.
‘Let there be a white heron feather in the assembly so that all may be well.’
Here the heron feather stands for a chief and the pēpeha recognises that a chief will maintain an orderly meeting in which useful discussions can take place. (Williams 1971:354. Ngā pepeha a ngā tūpuna. Pg 208)
Rangatiratanga requires us to behave in a way that attracts favourable comments from others, to the extent that we might be considered to have attributes commonly associated with a rangatira. We must nurture and promote these characteristics. We must be confident and competent in the way that we do our work, exercising control and discipline to ensure the integrity of our pursuits.
Whanaungatanga
Ehara i te mea, he kotahi tangata nāna i whakaara te pō
It was not just one person who was alert to the danger. It is the group that should take the responsibility.
Whanaungatanga reminds us that our achievements are typically the result of collaborative effort. The full potential of our work is realised through working together as a whānau, which encourages us to celebrate our common interests, applaud our diversity and reinforce our connections with whānau, hapū and iwi.
Kairangi
Whaia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe me he maunga teitei
Seek the treasure that you value most dearly, if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain.
Kairangi dictates the pursuit of excellence in all our activities and stipulates that we should build on the fields of expertise for which we are presently known. We need to contribute to the expansion of mātauranga with confidence, based on our own experiences. We must continue to learn and progress, as we strive to provide distinctive, innovative and high quality education programmes, publications and services.
Kotahitanga
Tuia te herenga tangata
Bind the ties of people
Kotahitanga values the ethic of working together, with energy and enthusiasm, towards the achievement of common goals. We should celebrate our distinctiveness, as an institution and as individuals, whānau, hapū and iwi; while also revelling in our shared experiences, understandings, philosophies and interests.