Kapa Haka

Te Rapa Primary School offers students a very good optional Kapahaka programme.
Students from Year 4 to Year 8 are encouraged to join, where they learn traditional and modern Maori song and dance.

Te Rapa Primary utilises the skills of staff members Viki-Lee Tapatahi, Christine Shadbolt, Jane Franklin and Tony Su'a.  Their experience and knowledge in both Kapahaka Performance and also ‘Things Maori’ has ensured the skill level of our children (tamariki) continues to progress to another level of learning.  Special tutor, Mrs Priscilla Ngatai, also joins the teaching team for Kapahaka practices.

The aim is to make it fun, and provide students with a sound base that will either allow them to take this as a stand alone subject in the future, or simply have enough knowledge and confidence to travel overseas and comfortably share a selection of songs with people from distant shores.

In recent times there has also been a Pacifica component to our Kapahaka programme where, Mr Tony Su’a (Teacher R21), has shown children a variety of dances and songs such as the "Sasa", Samoan dance and Tongan war dance.  This adds another dimension to the programme which the children have had lots of fun with.  Interested parents are secured to assist.

The Kapahaka group perform at different times during the school year.  Students learn about  important historical events that relate to such things as important landmarks within the Waikato region. The students are presently practising and learning waiata-a-ringa (action songs), haka, poi and chants.  At different times during the school year the Kapahaka group might also be involved in preparing murals, river and pa scenes, mere and patu.

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