Mihi Whakatau

The traditional Mihi Whakatau is the first official assembly held at the College each year, providing a warm welcome from all current staff and students to the manuhiri – those ‘new’ to the College.

On Tuesday 2 February, the entire St Andrew’s community gathered in the Quad to welcome the 265 new ākonga (students) including 42 new boarders, along with five new kaiako (teachers) in the Secondary School, and one in the Preparatory School. For the first time, around 100 whānau joined the celebration and were also welcomed into the St Andrew’s College family.

Tikanga teacher and High Performance Fitness Centre Manager, Trent Harris, delivered a powerful whaikōrero on behalf of the tangata whenua. The Māori and Pasifika Group also took part in the mihi, which is a formal way of respecting people by acknowledging their mana and tapu.