Our Bi-Cultural Nation

Drawing on the rich diversity we now experience living in Tamaki-ma-kau-rau, Auckland, we are fortunate to know that our akonga (students) and kaiako (teachers) get to learn from one another. First and foremost however, we recognise nga tangata whenua, the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa, and the opportunity that was offered by them to share in the beauty and resources of this land through the signing of te Tiriti o Waitangi.

As a school we honour te Tiriti (the Treaty) through teaching our akonga (students) tikanga (protocol), reo Māori (the Māori language), and mahi toi (the Māori arts). Alongside the Māori curriculum, the school also offers other language and cultural pursuits from around the world, thus celebrating in our rich cultural and ethnic diversity.

We aim to underpin who we are as a school through programmes that support the Māori language and culture curriculum such as Kapa Haka. Teachers are also encouraged to use te reo Māori in their classroom programmes.

Pasifika Cultures

The Arahoe Pasifika Group runs every Thursday lunchtime with Mrs Vaimasenu’u for students in Years 3 - 6. This group gives an opportunity for our Pasifika students to maintain their identity, language and culture through traditional song and dance. Our vision is to also see these values carried out into their learning environment. This leads into our annual Pasifika Celebration where we celebrate and acknowledge Pasifika student success here at Arahoe School. All whānau and extended whānau are welcome to come and join us and teach us a Pasifika song and/or dance at anytime.

Indian Culture

India's culture is among the world's oldest and here at Arahoe School we value and identify that diversity and inclusion are important elements in shaping the future of New Zealand. As over 30% of students at Arahoe School identify as being Indian we include the Indian language and arts as part of our cultural diversity. Each year we celebrate Holi, a traditional Indian festival of colour, across the whole school. In doing so we reflect the New Zealand Curriculum which seeks to value New Zealand’s cultural diversity, and the histories and traditions of all of its people. Through our celebration of Indian culture, we demonstrate our strong commitment to developing a tolerant safe environment where all of our children, whānau and staff feel celebrated, recognised and accepted.

Chinese Culture

China is a growing economy with a dominant presence in the world and Chinese is the most commonly spoken language in the world with 1.2 billion native speakers, including 1 billion who speak Mandarin. At Arahoe School, students have the opportunity to opt into Chinese classes based on their interest to learn Chinese culture through Mandarin lessons, Mandarin Dance and Drama groups. In the language classes, students learn about the Chinese culture through history, legends, art, cooking and songs.

Korean Culture

Arahoe School currently has Korean language classes for Ara Tuakana students. We have a tutor from the Korean Education Centre to support us with our Korean teaching programme.