A ‘stunning’ welcome to the North
A new batch of international students were treated to what Study Northland project manager Jo Lees described as a “stunning” welcome at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on Friday.
The inaugural regional welcome was led by Study Northland, the international education arm of Northland Inc, established last year to support international education in the region.
The Waitangi event provided a traditional Ma¯ori welcome to 90 students, aged between eight and 25, from countries including South Korea, Germany, Japan, Austria, Thailand, France, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Taiwan, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, India, Brazil and Chile, Ms Lees saying the occasion was a great opportunity to extend manaakitanga to the guests.
“These students have shown real courage by travelling so far from home to live and study in Northland, and we wanted to acknowledge their commitment to learning by extending them a heartfelt welcome to Northland from day one,” she said.
The students were greeted with a po¯whiri and performance, followed by a speech by Joy Hotter, development manager at Education New Zealand, and presentation of welcome certificates.
They took a tour of the Treaty Grounds, where they were taught waka drills, pu¯kana, poi ra¯kau and a waiata by Waitangi educators.
The welcome also included a “Kiwi” lunch of fish and chips wrapped in newspaper, while each student received regional guides, maps and postcards.
Ms Lees said Ma¯ori culture, friendly people and incredible scenery were among the many reasons that students gave for choosing Northland as a place to live and study.
“This event nurtures global citizenship, creates lifelong memories, and kickstarts each student’s Northland experience,” she said.
“I was so impressed with the Waitangi education team and the way they customised the experience to suit the ages and English language ability of our students. We really hope this event will be the first of many.”
The students who attended the welcome have enrolled at Whanga¯rei Girls’ and Boys’ high schools, Tauraroa Area School, Kamo High School, Springbank, Pompallier Catholic College, Whanga¯rei Primary School, Huanui College and NorthTec.
A second welcome event at Waitangi is planned for July.