Tēnā Koutou Katoa - Mata's Wish - what a fabulous way to start Term Four

By Sharon Keen | Posted: Wednesday October 27, 2021

Our students and staff spent much time and energy ensuring they were ready for their time in the spotlight. It was such a positive way to start the term with all having the opportunity to perform for a live audience. Audience numbers were small but thank you for making up for that by being loud and supportive. Special thanks again to Gen Feron and Karlyn Spain for their work as producer and director.

Last night Casebrook won the Intermediate Speech Competition.  It was a strong field with well-prepared and practiced speeches.  Congratulations to all participants and a special congratulations to Leon Greig who was awarded first place, for the second year in a row.  An amazing achievement.

We wish our Water Polo teams luck as they are traveling to Dunedin this weekend to compete in the South Island Water Polo Competition.  It is always a long weekend with much time at the poolside but a great experience. All the best and thank you to Sam Kirk, Sam Broad, and Eden Foster who are supporting them.

On Monday our first camp leaves for Glentanner in the Mount Cook area.  Thank you to the parents that are accompanying them and we hope the weather is kind as you are traveling to a very beautiful part of the country.  Thank you to Shona McKenzie and Charlotte Rennie for their organisation and for accompanying the group.

Over the past few months, we have worked with Ngai Tahu representatives to develop the Cultural Narrative for Casebrook.  This is a process all schools are involved with as they go into their rebuild or as in our case our refurbishment.  As yet the work is incomplete but the school has been gifted the name, 'Te Kura Mareko'. 

Te Kura Mareko - ‘the precious feather of a huia’.

Mareko is the beautiful tail of the huia bird. Kura is both school and taonga, treasure or precious. A Ngāi Tahu taonga species, the huia bird was highly valued to Māori and was known to symbolise leadership and mana. The back feather was worn in the hair or around the neck by both men and women. Feathers were often stored in intricately carved boxes known as wakahuia. They were precious feathers worn by rangatira (leaders), signifying leadership.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.

Nāku iti noa

Sharon Keen

Principal