Rarotonga — here we come

Mana (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 15, 23 February 1978, Page 3

Rarotonga — here we come

Seddon High School Trip, September 1978

A group of Seddon pupils who want to go to Rarotonga this year in their August school holidays approached teachers for their support and started making plans late in 1977. Thirty seats are booked for September 2nd on an Air New Zealand flight to Rarotonga returning to Auckland on September 13.

In Rarotonga the pupils will take part in cultural and sporting events with Tereora College where many of their relations attend school. The Seddon group does include people of other Polynesian origins. When the idea first came up there was a lot of enthusiasm and about sixty pupils showed interest. For various reasons the group has diminished to a hard core of thirty. Some pupils went home for Christmas, some have left school and others are uncertain about being able to raise the $2OO which each will have to contribute personally. Any pupil who wishes to go must belong to the school’s

Polynesian group this year. At present this club includes both New Zealand Maori and Cook Island Maori dance groups. All pupils going on the trip will be encouraged to learn both New Zealand Maori and Cook Island items so that an appreciation of both heritages is established, and once in Rarotonga the Seddon group, regardless of their individual backgrounds, will present New Zealand Maori haka and waiata as they come from New Zealand.

Rarotongan dance and song items will also be performed and improved on in preparation for the Auckland Secondary Schools Polynesian Festival in October. On enthusiasm alone last year the Seddon Rarotongan group came second — so hopes are high this year, especially coming so soon after the excitement of the trip overseas. To make it all possible, $5OOO must be raised. It is hoped that the bulk of this will be raised this term so that cultural and sporting activities can have everyone’s maximum concentration next

term. Over the Christmas holidays pupils manned a CARWASH at Albert Fowler’s Service Station in Williamson Ave on Saturday mornings. Our thanks to Mr Fowler who provides his equipment and space, and lets all the earnings go to the Seddon group. This CAR-WASH will be continued, so if your car needs washing . . . you know where to take it!

Other fund-raising activities are under way. A billiard table will be raffled in March, and discos will continue to be held in halls in the Grey Lynn area. Pupils selling newspapers for MANA can earn towards the $2OO they need personally. Many pupils would like after-school jobs to help them raise money — if you know of any, contact Robin Thomas (teacher at Seddon) phone 497-683 (home) or 867-722 (school). Meanwhile Seddon pupils are busy practising their netball, basketball and vollyball, learning action songs and looking forward to their trip to Rarotonga.