Welcome to 2016

Hello everyone and welcome to 2016. A few uploads on the blog today for your information. Please check the important dates tab for all the Pacific Language week dates. The final minutes for 2015 have been added, along with some interesting reading and information from Janice Tofia, and the latest minutes will be posted as soon as they are available. The Fiefia night date has been confirmed as Thursday 30th June. The planning committee will be in touch over the next few weeks with more information. Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa: Samoan Language Week runs from Sunday May 29 until Saturday 4 June.The theme for the week is E felelei manu, ae ma’au i o latou ofaga: Birds migrate to environments where they survive and thrive. It explores how identity, environments, diversity and sustainability are crucial aspects of creating communities where people are supported to learn and use Gagana Samoa.The Ministry for Pacific Peoples has also released a new resource for Samoan language week,you will find this in the Articles,Resources and links tab. Finally, I am always on the lookout for readings and research based around Pasifika student success and Pasifika Education for the blog so if you have anything relevant please send it through. Malo 'aupito.

End of term 3

Malo e lelei everyone.
I hope you have had a successful term 3 with your students. An example of Pasifika success I saw and was involved with this term has been our schools bi-annual Pantomime/Operetta. We had a high number of Pasifika students in lead and supporting roles, sharing with us their talents and abilities in song, dance and drama.
I also hope you enjoyed celebrating Tongan language week with your students. We had a very busy and exciting week and continue to celebrate the languages of all our Pasifika students.
The next language week is Tuvaluan language week beginning on the 27th of September.
I have uploaded the term two and term three cluster meeting minutes and there is also a link to download the award certificate for the upcoming Fiefia night.
Looking forward to seeing all of you at the Fiefia night and have a restful and relaxing holiday break.
Rowan.

Tongan Language week 2015

Malo e lelei,
With Tongan language week nearly upon us it had me wondering what I can do with the students and colleagues I work with to celebrate and recognise  Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e Lea Faka other than what we do already on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.  After a quick search online I found a few resources that like myself,  you may find useful.  The links to these resources are under the links/resources tab at the top of the main blog page.  
Last year I ran a competition amongst staff, providing some vocabulary every day ending with a test at the end of the week. The winner was presented with a lolly/chocolate bar Kahoa made by some of the children. The children spent all week trying to guess who the winner might be and were very excited to award the prize to the winner. 
This year I think given that the theme is Fakakaloa Aotearoa 'aki 'a e faiva 'a e Tonga – Enriching Aotearoa with Tongan arts, a quiz on symbols found on Ngatu cloth might be in order for the staff,  some artwork with the students, making good use of the resources mentioned above and several song and dance performances by our students in our community will make for a busy and wonderful week. 
 However, I would love to hear what you all have planned and any ideas you may have to celebrate at your school throughout the week. 
Enjoy. 

New link and Tongan Language week Posters

Hello Everyone,
Here are a couple of posters for this years Tongan Language week.They are available for download via the Articles, resources and links tab on this blog. There is also a direct link to the LEAP website which is great.
Enjoy and have a wonderful time celebrating Tongan Language week with your students.

Cluster meeting

Hello, The term 3 cluster meeting will be held at Glen Warren Kindergarten (beside North School) on August 20th, at 3 pm.Your hosts will be the Kindergarten Association.

Pasifika Student Success- Video

Hello everyone welcome to term 3.

Here is a video posted by Core Education discussing the importance of Pasifika success to New Zealand. Enjoy and please feel free to comment below and share any examples or thoughts on Pasifika success.

Luamanuvao master from CORE Ministry Video on Vimeo.

Talofa. Next week is Samoan Language Week. Janice Tofia has kindly sent through this poster for us all to use as a resource as well as a link to all the dates for the language weeks this year. There are direct links available for download, under the "Articles and links of interest" tab at the top of this blog.It would be wonderful if you could share with the cluster, anything special you may have planned to celebrate and share the language and culture of our Samoan students next week.
 

Thank You

The Pasifika Success Talanoa Oamaru Cluster would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Wendy Latavao and Hannah Latavao, for the time, and immense effort they put into preparing and serving the supper provided on the evening of the Pasifika Success Celebration.

Malo 'aupito, Faafetai tele lava from us all.

Photos

Hello.
 I have added  a couple of pictures from the Pasifika Success Celebration evening. If you have any pictures, including the winners of the awards please email them through and I will add them to the gallery.

New Links

Talofa lava. Here is a link to an interesting Pasifika pedagogy post on a very good blog run by Manu Faaea-Semeatu. Enjoy.

How we connect our data with our students

I have also added links to the Pasifika Education Plan and the Pasifika Implementation Plan, they are under the 'Articles and Links of Interest'.