Uru Manuka Cultural Festival

Uru Manuka Cultural Festival 

 The Uru Manuka Cultural Festival is an event where Schools come together to perform and celebrate the different cultures of our School Communities. This year we celebrated the Maori Culture. 

 On the 24th October, the St. Bernadette's Kapa Haka group performed at the Uru Manuka Cultural Festival for the first time. There were two performances, a Matinee one and an evening performance. The songs we performed consisted of: Kawaita, E Rere Taku Poi with Poi and Utaina. Our cultural leader Whaia Tanya taught us our songs and how to use poi. Mrs Lee accompanied the group playing the guitar. 

 At the evening session of the festival, there were eight or nine schools that performed, and their efforts were well received by the audience. The audience showed their approval by clapping and loud cheering. 

 The Uru Manuka Cultural Festival was a success and next year our school hopes to have a school costume that we can wear to perform in. We are looking forward to taking part again.

St. Bernadette's Kapa Haka Group

Refurbished, Repaired, Strengthened and Extended

On the 17th of October we had our first whole school Mass in the reconstructed Church. Our refurbished, repaired, strengthened and extended Church has a new Tabernacle, carpet, walls e.g. the decorated walls with vines leading into the stars. Jesus is the vine grower and we are the stars.

We have one statue of Mary from Rome, one statue of St. Bernadette from France, and a Crucifix from Spain. This helps to make our Church globally connected.
In the old Church we blessed ourselves with Holy Water out of two bowls, but now we bless ourselves out of the Baptismal Font.

The two entrance doors are now made out of glass , the seats have been angled and the projector is now split into two one on each side of the Church.


Everyone is so proud of the refurbished Church and all the detail that has been put in to the Church. We thank all the people who were involved in making Father Paulo's goal come true.