Social Science Trip to Rangiri Pā
On Tuesday 26 November a group of 90 Year 10 students and staff members travelled to Rangiriri in the northern Waikato to learn about one of the bloodiest battles of the Waikato War as an important part of our Aotearoa New Zealand Histories curriculum.
Students first heard about the events of the battle, told to them orally by descendants of the iwi. They handled replica muskets and experienced the difficult process of loading the gunpowder to fire. We were especially moved to view in person the place on the Waikato where British troops landed to attack and Lake Waikare, where the bodies of at least 120 women and children who were killed whilst escaping the pā still remain. A small group of our students performed our school haka to honour and remember these tipuna.
Another highlight was exploring the replica trenches and bunkers. We were privileged to have some local school children welcome us here. Students then played the combat game of Ika Ngohi before travelling back to Auckland.
A huge thank you to all staff members who supported and helped on this trip.
