Xanthe Banks and a group of 15 students travelled to Tāmaki Makaurau last week for the Ngā Manu Kōrero national finals.
It was our privilege to support Xanthe Banks at this years Ngā Manu Kōrero Speech competition which was held at SPARK Arena in Tāmaki Makaurau.
It was Xanthe’s 4th Nationals, and she spoke powerfully and eloquently. Xanthe competed against the finest young speakers of te reo Māori in the country, many of whom have access to people who have incredible expertise in te reo Māori.
She placed 11th overall after presenting her prepare speech on “Reo kōpiri, whakapuakina! Reo korahi, whāngaihia!” and a 2min impromptu speech where she had 5min to prepare. Xanthe has been a staunch promoter of te reo Māori, and the impact she has had on our school in terms of promoting the language through te wiki o te reo, kapa haka, mahuru Māori, and Ngā Manu Kōrero has been invaluable.
Xanthe has also put Ҵý on the map over the past few years in a competition that is often dominated by Kura Kaupapa Māori schools. Xanthe has been a role model to many and has inspired the next generation of young speakers to follow in her footsteps.
You can check out her prepared speech ‘Reo kōpiri whakapuakina! Reo korahi, whangāihia!’ at the link below:
By Bruno Watkins / Ҵý