The students of Te Kāhui Ako o Ngā Awanui (Cromwell Community of Learning), have been working incredibly hard this term to produce a collaborative book entitled ‘Our Stories’.
‘Our Stories’ is a collection of pūrākau (old stories) linked to the early Māori stories and experiences in Cromwell, and new stories that reflect our current links to our home.
Students from CELCI, Molyneux Educare, Cromwell Primary School, Goldfields Primary School and Cromwell College have produced the creative writing and high quality artworks within ‘Our Stories’.
Students learnt about the local stories from their Kaumātua Darren Rewi and Whāea Helen Koopu. Teachers then worked with students to further unpack and explore the stories. Over many weeks, students developed their own creative retellings or re-imaginings of what they had learnt. The end result is a diverse range of creative writing that reflects the past and also the personal voice of students.
A favourite of the students was learning about the Haast’s eagles that soared through the air, searching for prey, which was often small children! They also loved hearing about Kopuwai and his two headed dog, and Kaihuraki the Mist Maiden.
Students created artworks to illustrate the writing in ‘Our Stories’. Their pieces support the written message and make a beautiful book that will be a treasure for the Kāhui Ako and Cromwell Community.
‘Our Stories’ is being launched on Monday 5th July 6.30pm – 7.30pm at the Goldfields Primary School Hall. Artwork featured within the book will be on display and a small number of students will be reading their stories aloud. ‘Our Stories’ will be available for purchase at the book launch.
Te Kāhui Ako o Ngā Awanui warmly invites members of the community to join them at their book launch.
