South Auckland principal Shirley Maihi says her students don't need an official Samoan Language Week, as more than 200 of them are already fluent in it.
Finlayson Park Primary has a bilingual Samoan stream, as well as bilingual Māori, Tongan, and Kiribati streams, and those students will be leading the school through a week of activities celebrating the language.
Maihi sees her multilingual school as an example to multilingual Auckland of how to respect and learn from other cultures.
About 50 per cent of New Zealand's Pasifika population hail from Samoa, according to the Ministry for Pacific Peoples. Data from the 2013 census showed there were 86,000 Samoan speakers here – making it our third most spoken language, after English and Maori. Samoan Language Week runs from May 26 to June 1.
Finlayson Park Primary's office was draped in lei on Monday morning – day two of Samoan Language Week. Kids and teachers in hibiscus printed garb bustled in and out.
With 969 students, it's the biggest primary school in New Zealand.
At 9am, the Samoan students gathered upon bright floral mats to listen to the Samoan consulate-general make a speech in Samoan. Shirley Maihi also made a speech – in English. The kids, their teachers, and their parents laughed heartily at both then filed off to a courtyard to watch the Samoan flag being raised.
A cluster of pupils belted out the Samoan national anthem, then a rousing rendition of 'This is the day that the Lord has made' as the flag went up.
One of the parents there, Lemau Suluvave, watched proudly as her two children sang.
"I am so happy they can learn my language," she says.
Suluvave's son, aged 11, was born in Samoa and her daughter, aged 6, was born in Auckland. The family moved to New Zealand "because of the kids, to give them a better future".
"I left my homeland and my parents so the kids will have more opportunities," says Suluvave.
"But I don't want them to forget Samoa. They need to speak Samoan to speak with their grandparents, and it's special for them to have their own language."
Then it was time for traditional dances. Eight-year-old Emillie Lovetiti Pritchard kicked them off, wearing a woven skirt and elaborate headpiece – "our samoan traditional wear", says her mum, Helen Pritchard.
Emillie's meticulous dance told the story of a high priest's daughter and got almighty cheers from the audience. Some darted forward to attach $20 notes to her costume.
The theme for Samoan Language Week 2019 is Lalaga le si'osi'omaga mo se lumana'i manuia, which means "weave an environment for a better future".
Photo supplied: Emillie Lovetiti Pritchard, 8, performed a traditional Samoan dance at her school's Language Week launch on Monday.