Pasifika Update

By Scotty Opetaia | Posted: Thursday March 11, 2021

Noa'ia, Mauri, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Tālofa, Kia orana, Mālō e lelei, Mālō nī, Talofa lava, Tēnā koutou katoa and warm Pacific greetings to you all.

Here we are week six and what a way to start 2021. Over the last few weeks, the students have been busy organising and planning events. We have had our first PI shared lunch which was followed by our first Fono for 2021.

Students have not only been busy in the classroom but have been working away getting ready for their respective sports, interschools and tournaments.

The start of 2021 has started off positively with some great achievements. Some of our senior students have received recognition for their past leadership skills.

Congratulations to the following students:

· Semisi Tupo Taieloa, Deputy Head of Hostel and School Prefect (Sports)

· Patrick Sefo-Cloughley, School Prefect (Cultural)

The Mercy Hospital study group has also kicked into gear. The students are hard at work, working alongside Alofa Lale and her amazing team of tutors.

The boys have selected their Pasifika leadership group for 2021, with a focus around servant leadership and inspiring others within the school community.

We have also had our Wednesday Pasifika homework club start up this week. The boys are receiving additional assistance with their studies from Mr Kent Twaites. Several other teaching staff have made themselves available to the students. In the coming weeks we are looking to introduce the new Tama Tulai Wellness Programme.

The programme has been designed and developed to assist and help our Pasifika students. Promoting wellness, self-awareness and wellbeing. Providing an opportunity for students to build their self-confidence within and around school, and identifying what life looks like for them as a young Pacific Ali’i/Tama.

Last Thursday, Mr Twaites and myself had the pleasure of taking 20 students to the University of Otago to attend the annual Otago University Pacific Welcome.

The annual welcome is hosted by university leaders to officially welcome in the new academic year, and to welcome new Pacific Island students and their Famili and aiga to Otago. The students, parents and community were welcomed with an official address from Professor Harlene Hayne, Vice-Chancellor, University of Otago.

It was an actioned packed evening/function not to be missed. The students heard from university leaders, and had a chance to see what life may potentially look like for them in years to come.

We heard from academic and support staff who work at the Pacific Island Centre, and had the opportunity to mingle and meet with other students. We were also treated to an amazing evening of entertainment, laughter and tradition.

It was a great evening to celebrate the beginning of the academic year and to mark the departure of the wonderful Tofilau Nina Kirifi-Alai who after 18 years as the Manager of the Pacific Islands Centre will now head back to Auckland as the new Pacific Community Engagement Manager. We wish her well.

There were some amazing speakers from the Pasifika community and we had the opportunity to see and watch the fantastic Otago Pacific Performing Arts Group, featuring OBHS Old Boys Matthew Te’o and Luka Mualia.

2020 was a tough year for everyone with Covid-19 and its levels and lock downs, not to mention the students with sport and study and event cancellations. It was nice to see the year finish on a positive note with the Pasifika students and schools from all over Dunedin coming together as one for the night presenting a wonderful Pacific showcase.

The evening was focused on an event which was run, presented, preformed and organised by students from Otago Girls’ High School, King’s, and Queen's High Schools and Otago Boys’ High School who all showed some tremendous talent right throughout the evening.

Even with the ups and downs of 2020 our students managed to work extremely hard towards getting some great academic results and achievements in the classroom through languages, culture activities and the arts.

This coming Monday we are hosting Lea Faka-Tonga teachers and tutors from James Cook High School. They will be starting in Oamaru and working their way down to Dunedin.

On another note, the end of 2020 was also marked by several sporting achievements from our Pasifika students making their debuts for the OBHS 1st XV, the 1st Blues Volleyball squad and the Otago Rugby League team, Tongan 18’s Rugby League and the New Zealand Schools Rugby League teams. A massive congratulations to those Pasifika students for achieving sporting excellence.

Congratulations to the following students:

· Old Boy Max Brown - SZNZRL 20’S

· Old Boy Eli Allison - SZNZRL 20’S

· Semisi Taieloa - Highlanders 18’s, Tongan 18’s TRL

· Hopoate Finau - Highlanders 18’s, Tongan 18’s TRL

· Filipo Whitehouse-Opetaia - NZRL Schools