Lotu o Le Taeao – Morning Devotion Time.

O taeao o aso taitasi, e muamua lava ona fai le matou lotu e taitaia lava e le fanau.   O se avanoa tāua lea mo le fanau, e a’oa’oina ai le soifua fa’aleagaga aemaise le tautala i le Gagana Samoa.   O le matou ata lea e fa’aali atu ai le faiga o le matou lotu.   E fai a matou tauloto, o pesepesega, talosaga ma le faafeiloaiga.  O le matou talotaloga ina ia avea lenei ata e fesoasoani atu ai i nisi o fanau o le atunu’u o lo’o taumafai fo’i e fa’alauteleina le malamalama i la tatou gagana ae maise le ola fa’aleagaga.

Ia manuia la outou silasila matua ae matou ola i le alofa o le Atua soifua!

Bilingual classrooms for Pasifika have many special features that grow and nurture the growth of children in language and wholeness.   This is a video of how Potu Lua starts every single day of school.   Greetings, prayers, encouraging verses and songs are all a part of this morning tradition.  We hope that this will encourage you to do the same in your bilingual/immersion classrooms.

We look forward to your comments.  Fa’asoa mai!

Explain Everything in Action!

Talofa lava ua tele mea fou ua matou faia i totonu o le matou vasega.   O matou o ni tamaiti e fiafia tele e faitau ma fa’asoa.   O le ata lenei o le amataga o le fa’aaogaina o le polokalame faʻaaoga o le ‘Explain Everything’.   O lea o lo’o fa’aaoga e Mrs Sini i totonu o le polokalame o le faitau tusi.

Greetings, we have been learning many new things in Potu 2.   We are children who love to read and share what we learn.  This is a snapshot of us starting to use the programme Explain Everything.  Our teacher Mrs Sini created this resource to have us learn how to sequence our sentences.   We have done it first in Samoan and now this our english language version. We will be sure to share our videos of our gagana Samoa EE’s soon.

Le malamalama la’ititi – This little light

Talofa lava everyone!  We have been busy learning the basic tools in Explain Everything.  This week we looked at drawing, colouring and recording our voices.   We drew stars to sing ‘Le malamalama laititi’ and also twinkle twinkle little star with as we moved and recorded our drawings.

Some of us found it a little tricky, but we all got there by the end of the session.   We drew, coloured, animated and recorded our voices!   See our artwork here.  We hope to share soon our actual recordings.  Go here to listen and learn the lyrics to Le Malamalama La’ititi.

Manuia lava le aso.

 

Celebrating Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa at Otahuhu Primary School

Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa, or Samoa Language Week, is a significant cultural celebration that aims to promote and preserve the Samoan language and culture. In 2024, this event is celebrated from 26 May to 1 June. The theme for Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa 2024 is “Tautua i le alofa, manuia le lumana’i,” which translates to “Serve in love for a blessed future.” This theme emphasizes the importance of service, love, and community in ensuring a prosperous and positive future for everyone.

This week, our celebrations were wonderfully led by our very own teacher and leader, Mrs. Ianeta Sini. The event was a fantastic experience, featuring special guests who encouraged and inspired us to hold tightly to our heritage language. A Tamā Faifeau led a lotu, and our teachers performed an ava ceremony along with other unique Samoan customs.

At Otahuhu Primary School, we love celebrating the diverse cultures of our students and their families. We would love to hear from you about your favorite parts of our Samoan Language Week celebrations.

A big thank you to Mrs. Sini! You always go above and beyond to teach us about the beautiful ways of the Samoan people and their culture. You truly exemplify “Tautua i le Alofa, mo se lumana’i”—serving with love for a blessed future!

Celebrating Mrs. Sini’s Contributions to Pasifika Language Education

Did you know that our own Mrs. Sini is not just an outstanding classroom teacher—she is also a key member of panels and small teams of expert educators who write important educational documents for our nation. We are thrilled to share that she has recently been recognized for her exceptional contributions to bilingual education.

As a dedicated and expert bilingual Samoan educator, Mrs. Sini has played a key role in fostering a rich, inclusive learning environment where students can thrive while learning and appreciating the beauty of the Samoan language and culture. Her dedication has not gone unnoticed, as she has been called upon by the Ministry of Education to work on the Poto Series.  It includes support material like this document that aims to support teachers in delivering Pasifika language education in primary schools.

Mrs. Sini’s involvement in creating ‘Poto’ is a true testament to her expertise and commitment to enhancing Pasifika language education. We are incredibly proud of her achievements and grateful for the positive impact she has on our classroom every day. Her work will benefit many educators and students across the nation, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Pasifika languages.

Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Sini on this well-deserved recognition and in celebrating the wonderful contributions she makes to our school community!

Malo lava le tautua Mrs Sini!  Ia saga fa’amanuia le Atua iā te oe.