Joy and tears at Te Uki Ou

It was a day of both joy and tears as the students of Te Uki Ou school celebrated a year’s worth of achievements and farewelled much loved staff members and students.

School principal Jason Ataera is in his final year after three years at Te Uki Ou.

On the day, he assigned organising the prize giving ceremony to his staff and was proud of the result.

Students looked beautiful in their eis and dance costumes with no shortage of smiles during the event. Each class performed an act.

Senior students were MCs for the day introducing each act as they performed.

Students from room four wowed the crowed with their flash mob performance.

Preschoolers performed a short drum dance and new entrants and grade 1 students danced to the ‘coconut’ song by Smile Dk.

Year two students had parents and friends cheering with their energetic dance routines, the senior class danced to Hoedown Throwdown by Miley Cyrus and the senior girls performed a beautiful island number.

Shane Thompson affectionately known as ‘the cricket man’ to students presented certificates to outstanding cricketers.

Ministry of Education representative Gail Townsend presented Ataera with a gift to thank him for his work at the school over the past three years.

In his last speech as principal Ataera thanked his family, the students and staff of Te Uki Ou and the community that had supported them and said that he hoped he could twist his wife’s arm so that that they could come back.

Awards: Citizenship Awards: Pre-school - Mahana Sijp; New Entrants and Year 1 - Mana Jennings Turia and Imogen Weir; Year 1 and 2 - Sonny Taputoa and Elise Head; Year 3 - Amelia Weir and Zsaleya Sword – Tua; Year 4 & 5 - Tiamai Koteka & Isabel Drollete; Year 5&6 - Taylor Sutherland and Michael Wood; Year 7 and 8 - Ruby Fletcher Vea and Tiahuia Pittman. Overall Citizenship Award for 2010: Tiahuia Pittman [Year 8] and Michael Wood [Year 6]; Library Award: Hianimin Oti; Students of the year : Emily Barltrop and Mana Carr [Year 8].