James Cook High School

🎉 A huge congratulations to our own Fane Fusipongi Ketu'u, JP, who has been recognized in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours List and appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to Tongan language education.

For over 20 years, Fane has been a dedicated member of our Kiwa whānau, serving our students, families, and wider Tongan community with unwavering commitment and passion. This honor is a reflection of the many years she has spent championing Tongan language, culture, and education. We are so proud to see her dedication and service recognized at a national level.

Many will know Fane through her work as a teacher, but her impact reaches far beyond the classroom. From coordinating the Tongan Stage at Polyfest to her involvement in Lea Ki Moana and other community initiatives, she has worked tirelessly to ensure our young people stay connected to their language, culture, values, and identity.

Mālō 'aupito Fane. Thank you for all that you do for our school, our community, and future generations. This recognition is truly deserved. ❤️🇹🇴

On Sunday, some of our Tupuaga students joined 16 other schools at De La Salle College to celebrate and officially open Samoan Language Week 2026 🙌🏾🇼🇸

Representing Te Haikura a Kiwa for the first time for Samoan Language Week, they performed with pride and did an amazing job. We look forward to continuing the celebrations this week and beyond as we celebrate and uplift our language and culture 🇼🇸✨

Ia manuia le Vaiaso o le Gagana Sāmoa | Happy Samoan Language Week! 😍🇼🇸

We’re excited to celebrate the richness of Samoan language and culture with a range of activities throughout the week, including special assemblies led by our very own O Le Tupuaga students 🙌🏾

Be sure to check out the schedule, and if you’re part of our wider community, make sure you don’t miss out on our students performances at the Clendon library and at Finlayson School in celebration of their 30th birthday.

Join us on Friday as well for a day full of performances and activities led by our Tupuaga Unit! 🤩✨

Ko Wai Au | End-of-May Release ✨

Meet Rehua 🤩 a proud tauira of Te Wāhanga Māori o Puutake and a respected leader within our kura. As a member of Ngā Toki a Kiwa (Student Prefects), Rehua consistently exemplifies excellence and commitment to kaupapa Māori. Rehua represents what it means to achieve success as Māori at the highest level through his leadership in Te Ao Haka, academic dedication, and unwavering pride in his culture. We were fortunate to sit with Rehua and interview him about his journey so far:

"He aha tō painga o Te Wahanga Māori o Puutake e rata ana kia koe?
Ko taku rawenga o Te Wahanga Māori o Puutake, ko te whakapaukaha mo te Kairangitanga ki roto i ngā mahi Te Ao Māori me Te Ao Haka, me ēra atu kaupapa kura hoki. “Whaia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe me he maunga teitei”

He aha te tikanga o te tū motuhake ki runga i te papatuwaewae?
Te mutunga kē mai o te harikoa mōki ki te whakapuaki i taku tuakiritanga ki runga i te papatūwaewae. Tau 13 ahau, nō reira kua whai heipūtanga ahau ki te hanga i te tirohanga o te haka i hakaina e mātou. Hei tauira tēnei tau ki te whakataetae o Te Paparewa Māori, i roto ahau i te ohu whakahaere i hanga i te tirohanga me te titonga mo te haka e kōrero ana mō ngā mahi tūkino a Winitana Petera ki tana iwi Māori. Me te rongoa i tūhuratia mōna ki te rītaia.

He kōrero whakakapi mo te anamata o Puutake?
Kia ū koutou ki wā koutou mahi, arotahi ki ā koutou mahi, hei aha ngā boywhērēne ngā girlwhērēne rainei. Arotahi ki ngā mahi o te karaehe, arotahi ki ngā mahi o te ao haka. E angitu ai ngā wawatā me te ngako o te kaupapa o Te Wahanga Māori o Puutake.
Mā wai te painga? Ma te iho tamariki.

My favourite thing about being in Te Wahanga Māori o Puutake, is that we strive for excellence in Te Ao Māori and Te Ao Haka. “Whaia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe me he maunga teitei” - Pursue excellence and if you must bow, let it be to a lofty mountain.

Representing my culture means everything; being able to express my identity on stage. As a year 13 I have an opportunity to share ideas and see these turned into real life kapa disciplines. For example our haka this year at ASB I was a part of the choreography and the composition that talks about Winston Peters and billeting his Māori People.

Some advice for the younger generation of Puutake would be to stay committed and stay focused. Know your why. Don’t worry about boyfriends and girlfriends. Focus on class work, and Te Ao Haka (Kapa Haka) so that the dreams and aspirations of the kaupapa are achieved. Why do we do what we do in the wahanga? That is to benefit all of the students."

Week 6 is already here meaning we’re halfway through the term 🤩 A lot of events happening this week so make sure you check the schedule to ensure you don’t miss out & know when and where to be 🫱🏾‍🫲🏽

📍Geography Trip to Rotorua

On Thursday and Friday last week, our Level 3 Geography class had an amazing trip around Rotorua. Whilst filled with learning, adventure and fun, our students also got to experience these attractions as part of their assessments this term! From the Agrodome Sheep Show 🐑 and the cultural experiences at Te Puia 🌋, to the beautiful Redwood Tree Walk 🌲, students had the chance to explore some of Rotorua’s best attractions.

Day two included visits to the Rotorua Library, Skyline Rotorua, and everyone’s favorite activity, the ZORB! A big thank you to our teachers and staff for organising such a memorable experience ✨

WEEK 5 🫱🏾‍🫲🏽 CAA Assessments 📚

All the best to our students sitting their CAA Assessments that are running over the next two weeks!