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On Monday, October 9th, Tomu, Jade and Luz started school at Paihia School! It was a big relief when the Principal agreed to let them attend school. I had been emailing with her back and forth since July about what type of visa they would need, and it wasn’t clear that I had ultimately procured the right type. A phone conversation with Immigration New Zealand assured me that my kids could go to public school for up to 3 months on their visitor visas, but that it was up to the Principal to accept them or not.

While I was filling out paperwork in the office, the principal Jane came and said that would have to wait, because we were going to do a welcome ceremony in the Whare (Maori meeting house). She explained what was going to happen, and then told us that Olive and Nova would be our guides during the ceremony. We took off our shoes before following the students into the Whare, where the entire school was assembled, and were singing to us. Tears promptly came to my eyes — what power! how kind! During the welcome ceremony, everyone spoke and sang in Te Reo Maori, the Maori language. I didn’t understand any particular words, but it was obvious the student speaker was thanking the school’s important people, and the principal was welcoming us to the school. The whole school sang and danced about three songs, while we sat in chairs facing them. It was simply incredible. Then the kids and I had a moment to express our gratitude and introduce ourselves. Then we went back to the classrooms and had a biscuit together, cementing the fact that we are part of the Paihia School family.

Paihia school kids welcoming us with song.

All three kids were nervous before the first day, and told me they didn’t want to go. I told them to be brave, and that Auntie Justine said moving around as a kid is confidence-building and character-defining. At the end of the first day, they were all happy kids! Tomu learned how to play a new playground game, and he was “Caught Being Good” and celebated for it. Jade made a new friend, Alexis. Luz only cried once because she missed her parents.

This amazing sculpture on the school campus took three years to build, and was made with visiting artists and Paihia school kids:

The girls have homework to read to me every night. Jade is adjusting, because so far she has been reading in Spanish, not English.

I am thrilled that the kids will make friends at school, learn more about New Zealand and Maori culture, and that Riki and I have more time to get the boat ready to go sailing without worrying about what those three are up to!

Riki and I celebrated the first day of school by having breakfast at my favorite coffeeshop in Paihia: The Third Wheel. And we played pickleball at open play in Kerikeri on the second day of school!