Under the theme Ake, Ake, Ake – A Forever Language, the 2026 focus was Te Reo Towns, encouraging communities to create more places and opportunities for te reo Māori to be normalised, visible and valued. At Sancta Maria College, this provided the wero – challenge to consider how we can each contribute to the revitalisation of te reo Māori, no matter how big or small.
We began the week by raising the Māori Language Commission’s Ake, Ake, Ake flag, a reminder of the strength and endurance of te reo Māori and the collective commitment required for its revitalisation. At 12pm, our junior school gathered for ‘Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori – Māori Language Moment’, remembering the delivery of the Māori Language Petition in 1972 and the first Māori Language Day. Following in the footsteps of Bishop Pompallier, we prayed Ko te Āwe e Maria and sang Mō Maria, with our senior students on exam leave and whānau encouraged to join us from wherever they were.
The kaupapa of Te Reo Towns was reflected throughout the week as te reo Māori was taken into different spaces within our kura and wider community. Our Junior Kapa Haka shared waiata and haka with the residents of Highlands Metlifecare, te reo Māori was woven into our celebration of Mass at St Luke’s and our Year 9 and 10 Te Reo Māori students experienced Disney’s Coco Reo Māori at Hoyts Ormiston. Within the kura, junior students took part in navigation activities and staff represented the colours of the Hei Tiki from the Māori Language Week logo, each linked to an important element of language revitalisation.
To finish off our celebrations with our seniors back from study leave, we hosted our local feeder schools Sancta Maria Primary, Our Lady Star of the Sea and St Mark’s for kapa haka performances, whanaungatanga and kai. All kaihaka who performed on the day represented their kura and whānau with pride. They all contributed to a future where te reo Māori continues to be seen, heard and valued by all on this whenua, regardless of where our tīpuna are from.
While these activities marked Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, the message from the beginning of our week remains: our responsibility does not end when the week ends. Let us continue our mahi by taking up the invitation to help te reo Māori flourish into the future.
Kia kaha te reo Māori. Ake! Ake! Ake!