Roskill South Kindergarten celebrated 50 years in 2022, but due to the uncertainty of the global pandemic, celebrations were postponed to 2023. We had a year-long celebration, beginning with our whānau picnic in March, our Birthday Party Disco in June, our four storytelling workshops during Matariki, that past and present tamariki, whānau and the wider community attended, and our final celebration on Saturday the 4th of November – the unveiling and blessing of our pou, Te Ōhāki, and a community party!

Taumata from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei joined us for this special celebration and Toko Witika unveiled, blessed, and named our pou. Pandy Hawke, along with another member of Ngāti Whātua performed a beautiful karanga, a very moving moment. In between the speeches, which included an address from Katherine Souness, the deputy chair of the AKA board and a past parent, the tamariki treated the audience to the waiata that they had been practicing in the lead up to this special event.

After the formalities, it was time for Kai, and an opportunity to connect and reconnect with past and present whānau, wider community, and kaiako. Joining us on the day was Margaret Taylor, the second Head Teacher of Roskill South Kindergarten, and when it was time to cut the birthday cake, we invited Margaret to do the honours, along with one of our current tamariki. A lovely connection from past to present. Fairy Clare, who was also a past kaiako at Roskill South Kindergarten, engaged the tamariki in a storytelling show.

Our vision to create a pou as part of this milestone began in 2019 when we participated in the Ngā Herenga Waka community project, which involved the creation of Te Pou O Rongo, The Anchor of Peace. Our partnership with Tamati Patuwai from Mad Ave and David Mitchell and Max Sarhan from Roskill Together was fundamental to the success of our vision, and we feel blessed to have had this opportunity to grow a partnership built on shared values and beliefs.

Our pou, Te Ōhāki, captures the wairua, the mauri, the memories, and the stories of the Roskill South community, and now that it has been placed on the whenua, Te Ōhāki will provide a sense of belonging for our kindergarten whānau; it will be here forever! Our partnership with Matua Len and Matua Te Aroha, the master carvers from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, supported the kaupapa of our project, and for this, we are truly grateful. The stories, the memories, and the wairua of the past 50 years will guide and protect the next 50 years and beyond. We are looking forward to noticing the surprises as the tamariki engage, love, and interact with Te Ōhāki, and we know there will be new opportunities for learning.

We appreciated the support from Ngā Tamariki Puāwai o Tāmaki | Auckland Kindergarten Association during this project. Thank you also to Puketāpapa Local Board, Kāinga Ora, Steadfast Foundation, and Wardrobes Direct for their financial support. This was instrumental in bringing our special taonga to life, one that will positively impact the lives of ākonga for years to come.

Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua.

I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past.