To celebrate the rich diversity within our school community, Culture Night, originally started by last year’s Culture Prefect, Bharathi Manikandan, was beautifully continued this year by Charleeh-Blú Bagby, Priya Wilson and Elisha Potman, with the help of their council and staff mentor, Anna Dykgraaf.

In the lead-up to Culture Night, lunchtime events were held in the hall throughout the week to further celebrate, including henna hand painting, traditional Chinese calligraphy, Chinese bookmarks and Pasifika lolly leis. We also had a Zumba session featuring Brazilian, Pasifika and Indian styles of dance, and Tikanga Ra, where all the students dressed in their cultural attire and walked the red carpet. There was also a  K-Pop dance session led by the Culture Prefects, which was entertaining and provided so much fun.

The event showcased the tremendous amount of time and effort put in by the students involved. Their dedication and hard work were evident in the seamless execution of the night’s program, creating a memorable experience for everyone in attendance.

The Kapa Haka and Pasifika groups performed with poise and pride, their voices lifted the house. The Thai and Chinese dances were so graceful and elegant where the K-Pop and Desi dancers brought energy and vitality to the stage. Our individual performers displayed an incredible power to move the audience with their Chinese instrumental pieces featuring the dizi (flute) and the zither (harp). To bring the evening to a close the Cook Island Drum Dance was rhythmic and the loud beat was enthralling.

We commend all the students and staff who contributed to making Culture Night a resounding success.

Meitaki ma’ata, Fa’afetai lava, Dhanyavaad, Gamsahabnida, K̄hxbkhuṇ, Xièxiè and Ngā mihi nui.