I have been living here in America for about 11 years now. Although I have lost most of my accent and adapted to the American culture I am still a true Kiwi Kid at heart. I was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand in a major suburb called Henderson just west of Auckland city.
I was able to attend Kindergarden and Primary (Elementary) school while I was in New Zealand. I went to 3 different primary schools: first, I attended St. Leonards Road School in Kelston then I went onto Henderson South Primary School. After visiting America in 1998, I then attended Henderson North Primary School before permanently moving to America in 2003. Transitioning from Primary Schools in New Zealand to attending an Elementary in America was a big cultural shock for me. I wasn’t able to experience the things I used to do or play the way I used to play. The school curriculum was also different. There were so many changes I had to adapt to as a young kiwi (slang for New Zealand born citizens) living in America. This past weekend was Polyfest (I will elaborate more on Polyfest later in my blog) and as I started reminiscing on life in New Zealand as a young girl, I realized that my daughter Ellyse will not get to experience the great memories I had as a young kiwi. From my experiences in Elementary, and with the help of a couple of my nieces and nephews attending grade school today, I can recall a list of great memories I had in Primary School that Ellyse will most likely, not be able to experience:
NO Shoes, NO worries
I know having no shoes are a safety regulation here in America, but growing up in New Zealand shoes were optional. I loved walking bare foot! I don’t know why they let us choose to wear shoes or not, but it was the best thing in the world for a 5 year old. I lived 2 houses down from Henderson North Primary school so I would walk to and from school with no shoes on and no one had any problems with that. You could even go to the mall rockin the “bare foot swag” and it was pretty normal. I remember my first day in Elementary during recess, I went to remove my shoes to go play. All the kids looked at me like I was some wild child. I made it through about 10 minutes of recess before a teacher caught onto me and demanded that I put my shoes back on. It was very uncomfortable for my first year, but I got used to it. The picture above is my sister’s very first Class picture back in 1987 at Henderson South Primary School. There is a little girl with no shoes on and it was perfectly normal. I know shoes prevent a lot of injuries and protects homes from any hitch-hiking germs, but wouldn’t it be cool to choose?
Morning Work outs
Every school was different but what my primary school used to do every morning was line up all the children and do a 30 to 45 minute work out. We would run laps (some of us with no shoes on), do jumping jacks, push ups etc. and this was every morning (unless is was raining). It promoted an active lifestyle and helped wake children up in the mornings so that they can focus better throughout the day. I hated it back then, but now when I think about it I would love for Ellyse to work out every morning. I know there are extra curricular activities like P.E. and sports, but these workouts were daily regardless if we had P.E. or not. Also, there are so many children that choose not to play sports or give half the effort in Physical Ed, maybe mandatory workouts wouldn’t be such a bad Idea. It may even help lessen the numbers of obese children here in America… I’m just saying.
Harold The Giraffe
Life Education is a non-profit organization in New Zealand that would come to Primary schools by invitation. Life Education teaches children how their bodies operate and all the different ways to take care of themselves. Each class will take turns going inside the trailer where they will learn and be entertained by a giraffe named Harold. I loved every time I would see the Life Education Trust trailer parked on school grounds. It was an exciting way to learn about being healthy, making healthy choices and becoming familiar with our bodies. Harold The Giraffe will always be apart of my childhood.
Swimming
Just about every primary school in New Zealand had a swimming pool. Considering the fact that New Zealand is surrounded by an ocean, water safety is very important. Swimming lessons occurred weekly, and each class would rotate swim schedules. Many classes dreaded morning schedules because of how cold mornings are, lol but loved when it rained because it would actually make the pool warmer, at least I hope thats why it was warm lol. My experience of packing my Togs (What New Zealanders call bathing suits), changing into them and then learning how to swim is one memory Ellyse wont be able to experience, unless she’s signed up for swimming lessons.
Visits to the dentist during class
At Henderson North, we had a small dentist clinic located on school grounds, and looked similar to the clinic pictured above. Children are entitled to free dental care within the school dental services. During class, you would get a dentist slip that would let you know it was your turn to see the dentist. Most kids hated going to the clinic, but I loved it! The dentist would clean your teeth and look for cavities and filled them if needed. It was always funny to see the other kids come back to class playing with their numbed lips. These school dentist trips helped catch early dental problems and also helps build confidence in children when visiting dentists in the future.
Singing Assembly
This is a typical assembly at a primary school. Each class would sit in a straight line on the floor facing a projector filled with lyrics of songs on each slide. I had so much fun learning new songs each week. We learned songs such as the Taniwha (taa-knee-faa) song, Puff the Magic Dragon, the theme song from the television sitcom “Friends” (go figure) and the New Zealand national anthem both in english and Maori. We would learn these songs and then sing them in between certificate ceremonies.
Polyfest
Polyfest is composed of College (what New Zealanders call High School) students. The purpose of the festival is to demonstrate the students pride in their cultural identity, heritage, and bring schools and different cultures together. Students compete in traditional Polynesian dances. There are generally 6 stages: Maori stage, Diversity stage, Samoan stage, Cook Island stage, Tongan stage and Niue stage. These students practice very hard each year when competing in Polyfest. I however, wasn’t given the opportunity to experience performing in Polyfest due to the big move to America, but attending the event and watching the competitions were just as fun. My older brothers who attended Kelston Boys College and my older sisters who attended Kelston Girls College had the pleasure of competing in Polyfest. I love the thought of Ellyse learning about our cultures history in school. Knowing she will learn how to dance in our traditions of Samoa or any other Polynesian cultural dance would be something a Samoan parent would be proud of. There are Polynesian dance groups she can join here in the states and she most likely will in the future, but the fact that our Polynesian culture is taught in school is one of my top reasons for wanting my daughter Ellyse to have my kiwi experiences.
My husband and I have strong ties and family here in America. This is our home now and we don’t see ourselves moving to New Zealand anytime soon. I can always try to mimic my kiwi experiences for my daughter and future kids. I now pledge my allegiance to United States of America, but I will ALWAYS be a Kiwi Kid.
-Ace Mamii
acemamii 