It was an early start for the cohort of Year 10 students as they gathered at the College at 5.30am on Thursday 25 February, ready to be taken to a secret venue for their first Rite Journey ceremony ‘The Calling’, which is part of the Te Waka programme.

The excited group of students were taken to New Brighton Pier, where a lone piper started proceedings by leading them down the pier. After the raising of the flag, the students were greeted and welcomed, and during the ceremony were ‘called’ by their teachers on their important journey towards adulthood.

‘The Calling’ asks the students to acknowledge the end of childhood, accept more responsibility, and show gratitude to those people who have influenced them. An important part of the ceremony involved the students writing a ‘childhood’ behaviour that they wished to ‘let go’ of on a shell or piece of driftwood and throwing it into the ocean.

One Year 10 student said, “This was a very special event for all who attended. Letting go of my childhood in such a unique way really made me think of everything people have done for me and made me realise that every moment is worth it.”

The next Rite Journey ceremony, ‘The Departure’ took place on Wednesday 17 March, when parents, carers, and mentors joined the students to give their blessing and support for the programme, and to reflect together on the students’ childhood experiences.