Our school Inquiry this term is " JOY". Our team's inquiry question is "What brings you JOY at home, at school, and in your community? The students have to use Adobe to create 3 images of Joy at home and school, and in the community. All the students were able to do this. Some of the students figure out how to get the right images they need to be clear about what they wrote, or add more details to get the images the students wanted. These are Aniitah's images; she has also learned to animate parts of the images.
Today, we welcomed guest speaker Matua Les Hoerara from the Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust, who delivered a presentation on ‘He Aute’ — a project supported by the Ministry of Education. The focus of the session was on exploring meaningful ways to engage with our tamariki.
"Mana"
While the ability to self-regulate can be one aspect, mana is a much broader and deeper concept. It encompasses authority, prestige, spiritual strength, influence, and integrity. Mana reflects both inherent and earned power — it’s about the presence and impact a person carries through who they are and how they act.
Mana can be gained in several ways:
Acquired: Through personal achievements, education, scholarships, leadership, and acts of reciprocity such as giving koha.
Inherited: Passed down through whakapapa (genealogy), connecting individuals to their ancestral lineage.
Through Diplomacy: Demonstrated through effective communication, collaboration, and the ability to maintain respectful relationships.
However, mana can also be diminished. It may be compromised through negative behavior, showing disrespect, or failing to meet cultural responsibilities, such as neglecting koha or time commitments. Maintaining mana requires ongoing integrity and accountability.
