Stonefields Kapa Haka

The first couple of weeks of this term have been an incredible opportunity for our rōpū. The pōwhiri was a different experience as the rōpū were alone, to adhere to the gathering number requirements, but it was another opportunity to represent the kura. We welcomed to the kura all of our new to Stonefields whānau. The opening of the new buildings was special as well. Those who could get up early did a fantastic job. It's a real privilege to be part of these occassions. It's great to be given these very special opportunities for our rōpū to represent our kura and community. Our next scheduled event is the Te Kōtuku Cultural Festival. The Te Kōtuku Cultural Festival is on Saturday, the 21st of November at Ruapōtaka Marae, in Glen Innes. The Te Kōtuku Cultural Festival is a local primary school kapa haka performance showcase. We are 1 of 14 local schools who have been invited to perform. It's a great experience for our rōpū. We get to perform but we also get the chance to se...

Welcome back to Term 4. We hope that everyone has had some time out and about. The Fox whānau spent a week in Wellington to hang out with our extended whānau. We felt fortunate to have been able to travel. Although very brief, catching up with people was good for our hauora. The kids had a chance to recharge and fill up on experiences outside of Auckland. Summer sports are kicking off soon so the kids are getting prepared for a busy spring/summer.   I had the chance to reflect on what we did in Term 3. With minimal practices I think our group did a great job with their performance in the Matariki Concert. I've made it clear to our local schools that I think we need to do those sort of concerts more often but at a minimum we can do annually. We've started to embed a Friday 30 min practice at the end of the day which lifts all of our spirits as we close off the week. In those practices we get to perform with Te Puawaitanga, which has lifted our energy and enthusiasm. Bringing t...

We've made some decisions on our next group of songs that we would like to try out. I am confident that if we grow exposure to these waiata through this medium then we are likely to be better at practices and performances. It normalises waiata and then organically we build confidence. We gave 'E Minaka Ana' a go today and it felt like everyone did ok. Below are 7 that I’d like to bring into circulation from term 4 and during 2021.  E Minaka Ana E Nga Hau E Wha Ka Waiata Maumahara Noa Ahau Tai Aroha Utaina Mai Whakaaria Mai What we would like to have happen is that these songs are played and practiced at home. We've collected some resources in the links above but would also value resources that others have.  We may look to use some of these waiata by the end of the year however the purpose of this introduction is really to get a head start in preparations for 2021. I'd really like something special for our senior school to perform but it depends on how well...

Te Wiki O Te Reo Māori has been a real delight. This performance was an awesome way to cap the week. The combination of Kapa Haka and Te Puawaitanga just made sense. The ultimate aim is to have the entire school support our group. It was great to see our learners have a stage to perform. It was a delight to participate in the Matariki festival virtually with Glen Taylor School.  A special thank you to the kaumatua for opening the festival. The learners were amazing, the haka spine chilling and the singing superb.   Massive thanks also to Bob Miller and his support team who made sure that we could connect. It's our first go at a virtual performance and it ended up being pretty smooth. I can't wait until we get a chance to do it again in our new home - Te Pou Manawa, in term 4. Our next performance is for the opening of the new buildings. We may need to do this virtually again. This will depend on the alert levels. Thanks so much for for your continued support. Take a loo...

Intro Matariki, Matariki E Ara E Arising…. Verse Te matahi o te tau First month of Māori New Year Te kohinga whetu The collection of stars I te uma o Ranginui In the bosom of Ranginui E piataata mai ana Shiny brightly Whakaataata i te rangi Perform in the sky E tohu ana Show (us when) I te tau hou Maori e Māori New Year Chorus x 2 Ko Tupuanuku (These are the names of the stars) Ko Tupuarangi Ko Waiti, Waita Waipuna a Rangi Ururangi e Verse Te matahi o te tau First month of Māori New Year Te kohinga whetu The collection of stars I te uma o Ranginui In the bosom of Ranginui E piataata mai ana Shiny brightly ...

Ko taku rite ko te Tōrea Ka rere, ka topa   Ki runga e   Tau iho ki te tāhuna   Ki te keri i te pātaka   o Hinemoana   Tai timu, tai pari   He poto noa iho te wā   Ka whati ko te tai   Ka pao te Tōrea   Ka whati ko te tai   Ka pao te Tōrea   Kotahi atu ana.   Kia rite tāua   Ki te manu Tōrea   Kaua e whakaroa  Keria, keria   Kei whiti ana te rā   Tai timu, tai pari   He poto noa iho te wā  Ka whati ko te tai   Ka pao te Tōrea   Ka whati ko te tai   Ka pao te Tōrea   Kotahi atu ana.  Uhh Tai timu, tai pari   He poto noa iho te wā   Poto noa iho te wā    Ka whati ko te tai   Ka pao te Tōrea   Ka whati ko te tai   Ka pao te Tōrea   Kotahi atu ana.   Kei whiti ana te rā (te rā)   Kei whiti ana te rā (keri, keria)   Kei whiti ana te rā   K ei whiti ana te rā ...

Team, for those that are still keen to keep up their learning with Kapa Haka we've found some good resources online. This tutor has been posting up some resources . You'll have to have a Facebook account to access it, so you might have to share yours with your learner. Not all are our songs however Matua Whaitiri is an incredible teacher that I'm sure the learners will utilise. Follow him on Facebook. He's being very ambitious but is posting daily at the moment. We'll put some of our own resources up for the group when we get the chance. Still trying to find our feet with working from home and setting the kids some duties.  Bryan