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2020 Head Prefect - Ngakohu Walker
Toki uri uri, toki uri, toki amoamo ake hoki au i taku toki nei.
Kia rahirahi mākīkī, kia rahirahi mākākā.
Nō hea te toki nei a Manīhi. Nō hea te toki a Manāha. Te Manāha nui a Tāne. Ka whakairia nui ake koiarā te tarawīwini ka tū ki hea, pou e. Rūrū taku rama, rūrū nā wai, ka rūrū ki hea? Ka rūrū ki Waioriki ki Ōraka. Kape tī, Kape t
Tihei Mauri Ora!
Ko te mihi tuatahi ki tō matau Atua. Nāna te timatanga me te whakamutunga o ngā mea katoa. Kia whai kororia ki tōna ingoa tapu.
Ki nga mate. Haere, haere, haere atu rā.
Hoki mai ana ki a tātau te hunga ora, tēna rā tātau katoa.
Ko Hawai te marae. Ko Ranginui te wharenui. Ko Turirangi te wharekai. Ko Te Harawaaka te hapu. Ko Te Whānau A Apanui te iwi. Mai ngā Kuri A Whārau ki Tihirau. E i te tapu o Muriwai.
Ko Ngākohu Walker. He uri tenei no Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Whakatohea
E tū ake ake nei au ki te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.
Ki nga kai kōrero, tēna koutou.
Ki nga kai karanga, nga reo tioriori, tēna koutou
Ki te Tumuaki, tēna koe.
Ki nga Kaiako me nga awhina, tēna koutou.
Ki ngā tama tane o Raukura, tēna koutou.
Ka huri aku mata ki a koutou nga Manuhiri. Nau mai ki te papa o Raukura. Kua tae koutou ki te whakakī i o koutou kete, mā te Matauranga.
E kii a nei te kōrero, “Ko koutou ngā Rangatira o āpopo”.
Heoi anō me huri au ki te reo paraoa, kia mārama pai ai tātau katoa.
Kia Ora & Welcome to Rotorua Boys’ High School 2020
To Mr Grinter, Kia Ora Sir. You continue to lead our school to greatness every year and I know you’ll do the same this year.
To our staff and support staff, I hope you enjoyed your holiday and are ready for another great year.
To our new staff welcome
To our prefects team, boys this is our year. Let’s make sure that we lead by example and if not uphold, lift the legacy left by those who led before us.
To the student body, welcome back boys. Make sure that we all welcome our new boys and make them feel at home.
And finally to our visitors. Welcome. I look around and I see that Raukura’s future is bright.
To all our parents that have arrived today to support their boys. You guys are super stars. I commend you all on coming today to support your boy. There is nothing that is comparable to having a loving and supporting whānau. So I thank you all for coming. That is one of the things we pride ourselves most on is Whanaungatanga. If we can carry on this kind of support all throughout the journey, schooling life for the boys will be very easy and smooth sailing. It must be very nerve racking for you to be letting your son go into high school but don’t worry, our staff and our student body will no doubt help your boy comfortably settle in to school here.
To all our new boys, welcome. I hope you guys make the most of your time here at school and make your whānau proud.
You may be wondering who I am?
My name is Ngakohu Walker, I am a proud hostel boarder and I am the head prefect for 2020 here at Rotorua Boys High School.
I was born and bred on the Sunny East Coast of New Zealand in a small place called Hāwai where the rhythmic pulse of the ocean is just off the doorstep of my house and the hum of the forest is just outside my back door. The nearest town which is Opotiki is a ½ drive away. Hunting, fishing, diving and spending time in the outdoors with my family is what I grew up doing.
I went to Kohanga reo at Maraenui and spent my primary and intermediate days at Te Kura Mana Maori O Maraenui, which was a school that consisted of 3 classrooms and 40 kids. There I learned to fluently speak native tongue and there I learned about my tipuna and my culture. Through those years I was the only kid in my year level. Being the only kid in my year level from year 1 through to year 8 was challenging at times but I learned a lot. I never had anyone of my age to hang out with so I always hung out with people that were either older than me and younger than me.
I then transitioned into high school where I spent my first year at Opotiki College. When I moved there I thought it was huge. It only had three blocks. I actually got lost on my first day there which I can still clearly remember now. Opotiki College is a good school, however it wasn’t for me. I then made the move over here to Rotorua i. 2017 as a year 10 student where I found my niche. When I arrived at this school it was way bigger than little Opotiki College. Don’t even ask me how many times I got lost. The very first thing I noticed about this school is that it is a place that is very much alive. Everyone is doing something… It pushed me to get involved in everything I could. The opportunities that are available here are endless. From performing art activities like production and kapa haka to academic activities like debating, to sporting activities like rugby and so many more. Back home, we have nowhere near as many opportunities as this school presents. As a way to give back to my whānau I make sure to take every single opportunity that presents itself and I hope I inspire other boys to do so.
It is absolutely humbling to stand here in front of you all as head boy. 13 years ago I was a young boy attending a small rural school along the East Coast and I never ever would have imagined having such a role as this. So I am very honoured and absolutely humbled. I will do everything I can for this school and for our boys to make it a better place.
If any of the boys, old and new need, anything or have any questions or need someone to talk to, just know that I am here for you all. Although I am Head Prefect, I am just another boy that proudly attends Raukura.
Before I close off my speech I will leave you with a whakatauki that I live by every single day.
Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe me he maunga teitei
Seek the treasure you value most dearly: if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain
Heoi ano, huri noa i tō tātau kura, tēna koutou, tēna koutou, tēna tatou katoa. Kei raro.
