Sir Keith Park puts a bit of culture into Auckland Airport. 

Sir Keith Park’s satellite class at Bader Intermediate has had the honour of having their art work displayed at the Auckland International Airport. A mix of charcoal drawings, carvings, paint, natural flora and ceramic tiles, the work is a mix of many individual parts put together to show case community and Te Reo.

The art work embodies various aspects of Māori culture, with the students using Māori legends and kiwi plants (Harakeke, Koru, Tiki) to symbolise the people and community around them, as well as the journey that we all go through in life. The work also places a thoughtful and important message/emphasis on Te Reo. The students incorporated into their drawings the ideas of no matter who you are you can learn Te Reo and that the only way Te Reo can continue is through the people.

One of most motivating pieces came from an 11 year old student whose vision for the future was that “Māori must not just grow as a language, but as a people”.

The class used their 2Touch board to plan out the project. Using multiple multi-media tools and Easiteach software the class researched traditional Māori art work. By completing tasks on the 2Touch they were able to save all the steps they went through, giving them a record of the journey they’ve been on to create the work.
Class teacher, Lysandra Stuart, and range of other educators also used the 2Touch board to present the project and share information at a hui they held.

The work is a great testament to the idea that no matter who you are, and how others may perceive you physically, it’s what’s up top that counts.

Manzana would like to thank Lysandra Stuart for supplying us with the pictures and information regarding the project.