Te Kāpehu Whetū - Tāmaki

08/09/2026

Kia Tū Rangatira Ai! 🔥

We were excited to host former politician and government minister, Matua Kelvin Davis, at our kura this morning!

He shared what it was like growing up in the Far North and reflected on how tough it was seeing his Māori mates leave school early or miss out on university. He laid down a challenge for our rangatahi: “Being average is easy - striving for excellence takes hard work, but you have everything it takes.”

With so many of our ākonga connected to the North, hearing his story was incredibly meaningful.

A huge thank you to Matua Kelvin for sharing your wisdom and sparking that fire in our kids today!

04/09/2026

Building Race Cars

Today, our Year 9 and 10 juniors got completely hands-on with EVolocity! The main mission today was fabricating the vehicle’s chassis frame, paving the way for the next session where they’ll dive into welding and fitting the parts.

A massive thank you to our awesome kaimahi and to Jason Maraku, CEO of EVolocity and our lead sponsor, for backing the team and supporting our ākonga with this kaupapa. It’s all building towards the ultimate showdown on race day, 28 October, where our rangatahi will go head to head against schools from across the motu to race their cars.

28/08/2026

Kia Matau.

'Mā te mātauranga ka tū rangatira ai te tangata.'

Kia ora e te whānau! Our ākonga are on campus at AUT today, getting a real taste of tertiary life and seeing what is possible for their future.

A huge thank you to Te Hā Oranga for organising the Ngāti Whātua Tertiary Summit Day. Days like this are invaluable for our students as they start mapping out their study pathways and career goals.

27/08/2026

MAHI KIRIATA | MEDIA PRODUCTION

Our students learning how to set up interviews with professional camera equipment during their NGEN Room session.

Building the next generation of Māori storytellers here at Te Kāpehu Whetū Tāmaki

26/08/2026

KIA MĀTAU

Our junior students got to try first hand what it’s like to be a civil engineer here in Tāmaki Makaurau!

Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou

Big thank you to Vitruvius andTe Hā Orangaa for showing our students many career opportunities within engineering here in Tāmaki Makaurau and beyond.

21/08/2026

Kia ora!

A reminder that if you have the means to support our head prefects on their school haerenga to Hawaii - visiting schools and strengthening Indigenous connections - please click the links below in the post to support each student directly.

We appreciate your tautoko! Please share widely.

Ngā mihi nui.

👤 Julius Tipene
https://docs.google.com/.../1H4T5.../edit...
🏦 Bank: Kiwibank 38-9027-0043837-00 (Account: JULIUS TIPENE)

👤 Ihapera Leefe
https://docs.google.com/.../1SYKuQkg9DguyQu6b8aS4.../edit...
🏦 Bank: ANZ 06-0337-0293988-00 (Account: I T LEEFE)

Tēnā koutou e te whānau,

Our Head Prefects, Julius Tipene and Ihapera Leefe, are heading to Hawaiʻi this November for a cultural exchange! We need your help to get them there through our "1 to 100" Fundraiser.

🌺✈️

🌺 How to Support ($1–$100 Koha)

Pick any available number between $1 and $100 and deposit that amount.

Add your name next to your chosen number on their Google Doc link.

Deposit your koha into their account using your surname as the reference.

👤 Julius Tipene
📝 Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1H4T5-uH4S7h4Q2JTqJBLVCVMCEMycGUo1zLHGwcwdEA/edit?gid=0 =0

🏦 Bank: Kiwibank 38-9027-0043837-00 (Account: JULIUS TIPENE)

👤 Ihapera Leefe
📝 Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SYKuQkg9DguyQu6b8aS4MfQKJasaMmmCxTrQWPB9d_w/edit?gid=0 =0

🏦 Bank: ANZ 06-0337-0293988-00 (Account: I T LEEFE)

About the Haerenga

Julius and Ihapera will join senior students from Te Kāpehu Whetū Whāngarei to represent our kura, visit Mālama Honua and Kamehameha School, and build ties with our Hawaiian whanaunga across Oʻahu.

Every contribution helps cover their travel and accommodation. Thank you for supporting our ākonga as they realise this dream!

Nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa.

21/08/2026

Today, we had the pleasure of welcoming Isaac Hewett–Kaulima to our kura. Isaac is a finance professional who works as a Credit Assessor and Analyst for Hewett Mortgages, a proud whānau-owned, Māori and Pacific mortgage brokerage based in Tāmaki Makaurau.

As a former student of Dr Will, Isaac brought valuable expertise in financial advice and money management directly to our ākonga. He ran an engaging, practical workshop covering the essentials of money: smart saving habits, understanding KiwiSaver, and planning ahead to achieve future goals.

Having a relatable, inspiring young leader like Isaac share his knowledge made a genuine impact on our students. Financial literacy gives our ākonga the tools to succeed, and Isaac's journey served as a powerful inspiration for what they can achieve.

We are incredibly grateful to him for giving back and empowering our next generation.

Hewett Mortgages

11/08/2026

The second part of our visit began with a stop at Rongo, the monument that recognises the Parihaka men from Taranaki who were unjustifiably taken to Dunedin as prisoners and the cruelty they suffered.

​Secondly, we met Matua Phil from the School of Business, who provided great insight and shared valuable advice:

​1. Surround yourself with people who have goals.

​2. Write your goals down where you can see them every day.

​3. Attach your goals to Te Whare Tapa Whā.

​Thirdly, we had lunch with Professor Karyn Paringatai, who sat with our ākonga and answered all their pātai about being Māori at Otago, alongside sharing other helpful advice and hints.

​Ngā mihi nunui me te aroha nui ki ngā kaimahi katoa i awhi, i manaaki hoki i a mātou i tēnei haerenga.

Our students are extremely motivated to begin their tertiary pathways soon!

10/08/2026

Mōrena whānau! Greetings from the University of Otago!

Some of our senior students, alongside our Pouhere, Dr Will, have travelled down to Ōtepoti Dunedin to explore the awesome tertiary study pathways available here.

Our trip kicked off with a great first day touching down in Dunedin, settling into our accommodation, and gathering for a whānau hui to set our goals and positive energy for the trip. We have had a busy schedule, starting with an exclusive tour of Otago's newest hall of residence, Te Rangihīroa College, to see what campus living is really like.

We also took a walk around the beautiful grounds to get a feel for uni life, enjoyed lunch together at Te Huka Mātauraka (the Māori Centre) while learning all about the amazing support, space, and opportunities available for Māori students, and joined a Māori Performing Arts lecture with Professor Karyn Paringatai, where our ākonga jumped right in and got involved!

Our students are exploring so many exciting pathways, including health science, psychology, criminology, business, and the creative arts. This trip connects directly to our kura value, Kia Mātau - which is all about gaining knowledge. For our students, the goal is always to keep learning after school and to succeed in whatever career path they choose.

It is absolutely beautiful down here in Ōtepoti, and our ākonga are loving every minute of it!

06/08/2026

Tēnā koutou e te whānau,

Our Head Prefects, Julius Tipene and Ihapera Leefe, are heading to Hawaiʻi this November for a cultural exchange! We need your help to get them there through our "1 to 100" Fundraiser.

🌺✈️

🌺 How to Support ($1–$100 Koha)

Pick any available number between $1 and $100 and deposit that amount.

Add your name next to your chosen number on their Google Doc link.

Deposit your koha into their account using your surname as the reference.

👤 Julius Tipene
📝 Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1H4T5-uH4S7h4Q2JTqJBLVCVMCEMycGUo1zLHGwcwdEA/edit?gid=0 =0

🏦 Bank: Kiwibank 38-9027-0043837-00 (Account: JULIUS TIPENE)

👤 Ihapera Leefe
📝 Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SYKuQkg9DguyQu6b8aS4MfQKJasaMmmCxTrQWPB9d_w/edit?gid=0 =0

🏦 Bank: ANZ 06-0337-0293988-00 (Account: I T LEEFE)

About the Haerenga

Julius and Ihapera will join senior students from Te Kāpehu Whetū Whāngarei to represent our kura, visit Mālama Honua and Kamehameha School, and build ties with our Hawaiian whanaunga across Oʻahu.

Every contribution helps cover their travel and accommodation. Thank you for supporting our ākonga as they realise this dream!

Nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa.