Pou 2023 - Te Pou o Aupiki Nui - The Pou of Great Ascension
Te Pou o Aupiki Nui means ‘The Great Ascension’ in reo Pākeha. This pou that was designed through our year 6 students kōrero and their contributions has helped create a unique pou in purely Pango (Black) and Mā (White) that will now stand at our kura for many years to come, representing the 2023 Year 6 tuākana of this school.
At the bottom of the pou are strong lines, tapa toru, and tukutuku inspired patterns. These are coloured in Black to represent the strength of boldness of our tamariki. The tukutuku also represents progress and ascension. Within these lines are Pākati patterns, also representing courage and battles. Unaunahi can also be seen within the Tukutuku lines, representing health, hauora and abundance.
Moving up Te Pou o Aupiki Nui you can begin to see the influence and variance of Koru throughout the middle of the pou. A Māngopare inspired pattern in the middle of the pou was designed and crafted to represent the determination of our Year 6 tuākana over their years at Mahora. It also represents whanaungatanga and manaakitanga, two of our kura values, with the koru in these patterns intertwining creating teams and whānau with each other. Wrapping around the edges of the pou this theme continues. Throughout Te Pou o Aupiki Nui you will areas that are symmetrical and others that are free and flowing. This is to represent the differing paths that all of us as people in our Mahora Hāpori, and society take - different paths and uniqueness is important to us.
Koiri patterns can then be seen three quarters of the way up Te Pou o Aupiki Nui. Koiri patterns represent the flouirshing of our children in their education, social learning, sports, and cultural identities. It also represents growth and ascension, the common theme across the pou. Throughout the pou, Pākati and Unaunahi can be seen within the previously mentioned patterns.
At the top of Te Pou o Aupiki Nui is the shape of a face. This face was chosen by our year 6 tamariki to represent Kahungunu. This links with our learnings around Kahungunu the man, Kahungunutanga, and acknowledges that we are on Ngāti Kahungunu whenua. At the very top of the pou is a black band representing the Black Cap which has become part of the tradition of our Mahora Pou, acknowledging the Black Caps of our kura.