Samoan Language Week Pride Week

Samoan

Language Week

Students and staff celebrated Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa (Samoan Language Week) from Monday 30 May to Friday 3 June, with an engaging programme of events, run by Head of Middle School, Mikae Tuu’u. These included phrases of the day, The Lord’s Prayer being recited in Samoan at chapel, an opportunity for students to wear formal Samoan dress to school, and Samoan songs playing in the Quad during Friday lunchtime. Another popular activity was sampling some delicious Samoan food in Thompson House on the Thursday. Students enjoyed the week, with many attempting to speak Samoan and embrace the beautiful language. Samoan is the third most widely spoken language in Aotearoa New Zealand. This is the twelfth year that Samoan Language Week has been celebrated here.

The campus was awash with colour during Schools’ Pride Week, a time to celebrate and affirm rainbow identities, help increase a sense of belonging, and reduce the experiences of bullying for rainbow youth.

Led by the StAC Pride Group, the College celebrated diversity and its value of inclusivity by making rainbow pins for the prefects and staff to wear, and students to purchase. The rainbow flag flew proudly outside the Middle School office and on the main flagpole, and the The Green Library and Innovation Centre celebrated the month with a book display titled ‘Out on the Shelves’. Staff and students wore colourful socks and tights at the start of Pride Week, and StAC Pride Group members, prefects, and the student Well-being Committee provided a hot chocolate for students to kick off the week’s activities.

A powerful message on the need to embrace diversity was delivered by Assistant Chaplain, Ben Hughes, during a chapel service. Students swapped their uniforms for the colours of the rainbow, with the proceeds from the mufti day going to Qtopia, an organisation that supports Rainbow youth in Ōtautahi and the wider Waitaha/Canterbury area.