Woods of many nations for school taonga
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‘‘The trees that the wood came from all grew in New Zealand but like the tamariki at our school, their ancestors came from all over the world.’’
Dan George
Victory Primary School had a dilemma, and it took the form of a shonky picnic table.
‘‘The table was a hazard, and had to go,’’ said Rotary Club of Nelson West president Charles Lambert.
The school’s principal, Dan George, reached out to the club asking if a new one could be donated, and what arrived at the end of April was a welcome surprise – a table made from untreated timber from around the world.
Nelson West Rotary member Rod Witte, who has a grandchild at Victory Primary School, was the table’s creator, and was present at a ceremony welcoming it to the school.
George said the table was purposely made out of five different types of wood from around the world to reflect the diversity of the school – elm from Europe, redwood and macrocarpa from North America, teak from Asia, and to¯tara from Aotearoa.
‘‘The trees that the wood came from all grew in New Zealand but like the tamariki at our school, their ancestors came from all over the world,’’ he said.
A small ‘‘handover’’ ceremony was held to welcome the table, attended by one of the school’s classes.
Witte and George spoke in te reo Ma¯ori and English. Both groups sang waiata tautoko (supporting songs) and finished off by sharing kai and a drink on new piece of outdoor furniture.
George said he was grateful for the ‘‘time, effort, thought, and work’’ that went into the provision of this taonga.
‘‘It’s the perfect metaphor for us as a school.’’