Te Reo Māori
Students will learn the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in order to communicate in te reo Māori. Important aspects of culture and protocol will be taught. Students will develop through speaking and writing tasks. A variety of teaching strategies are used to develop skills.
Te Reo Rangatira
Te Reo Rangatira is an option for any mokopuna who already have a high grasp of te reo rangatira and have come from a Māori immersion background. This course will focus on high-level proficiency in both literature and culture.
Te Ao Haka
“Toitū te kupu, toitū te mana, toitū te whenua” – Hold fast to Māori culture, without language, without mana and without land, the essence of Māori will be lost. Students will refine their analysis of Te Ao Haka and their skills in performance. They will be able to effectively express narrative and embody their performance.
POU HAKA
Tiana Edmonds (Te Aitanga-ā-Hauiti, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi)
TUTORS
Tawake Pirihi-Clarke (Te Arawa)
Aorangi Tangaroa-Goomes (Ngāti Porou)
‘Tangata ako ana i te whare, te tū ki te marae tau ana’. Kapa Haka continues to grow at Newlands College. Te Rōpū Kapa Haka o Te Ao Mārama holds weekly practices with a goal of developing a full bracket for performances in the Newlands region and beyond. The focus for this year will be to continue to foster a passion for Māori Performing Arts and grow within our own Māoritanga through Kapa Haka.
The time invested in Kapa Haka is recognised by offering Unit/Achievement standards to help support their NCEA qualifications.
Every student at Newlands College learns the school waiata and haka.
Cost: Variable and for specific events.
Newlands College has partnered with Hauora Aotearoa to deliver a 15-week programme for senior ākonga to learn te reo Hauora and teach their skills to preschoolers at a local early childhood education centre. Ākonga can earn up to 15 Level 3 credits, as well as develop practical skills to enhance their own and others’ wellbeing.
More information is available on the Hauora Aotearoa website.
Newlands College joined the Pūhoro STEMM programme in 2026, with rangatahi Māori interested in STEMM from Year 11. The aim is to eventually offer this programme at all year levels in the future.
The programme aims to encourage and nurture our rangatahi Māori studying the sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics, and te reo Māori (STEMM), so students may feel inspired to enter careers in these sectors. This is done through a range of different activities that have an overarching appropriate Māori cultural setting.
Students attend weekly tutoring sessions with Newlands College’s kaihautu, Aria McKee and Angus Te Puni. These sessions are aimed at supporting students every week with their STEMM studies, as well as providing opportunities to meet and hear from Māori who are currently working in STEMM-based fields.
Once a term, students will attend a full-day wānanga, where they will have the opportunity to connect with and hear from key people from across the STEMM sector. These days also involve sessions that are aimed at giving the students time to hear from Māori scientists and engineers. Other speakers cover topics such as: preparing for the future, transitioning from secondary school, student debt, scholarships and Q and A sessions with STEMM experts.
Nōku Te Ao is a kaupapa that seeks to broaden the horizons of our Pūhoro rangatahi through international trips. These haerenga are designed to expose them to diverse STEM opportunities abroad and introduce them to other indigenous communities. In previous years, students had visited places like NASA, Silicon Valley, Hawai’i, Singapore and Taiwan.
More information is available on the Pūhoro website.