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It’s not often that people are glad they took note of the health and safety briefing at the start of an event such as a kindergarten kapa haka festival.
However, a fire alarm in the middle of the performances meant everyone had to evacuate the venue, Whangaparaoa School hall. It proved that people had been listening to the briefing, as around 240 kindergarten children, as well as teachers and parents filed out of the hall and assembled on the school field in an orderly fashion.
It proved to be a false alarm and the kapa haka performances soon resumed.
This is the second time that Whangaparaoa Kindergarten has hosted its Haere Tahi (Journey Together) Festival – this time in Maori language week, on September 11.
Six kindergartens from the Hibiscus Coast and North Shore took part.
Head teacher Wendy Simpson says Whangaparaoa Kindergarten has had a kapa haka group for around six years and at first they were very much in the minority. She is excited to see more and more kindergartens offering kapa haka.
The children gave enthusiastic performances, which included poi and ti titorea (stick games).
