He hōnore, he korōria ki te atua,
He maungarongo ki runga i te whenua,
He whakaaro pai ki nga tangata katoa.
He tīmatanga korero māku ki a Ihowa o ngā mano mō āna manaakitanga i ūhi ake ki runga i a tātau katoa korōria ki tōna ingoa tapu.
Āmine.
He aha rā kei taku aro e?
He moko ki te puna he tiwha ki te rae
I haramai rā koe i te kunenga mai o te tangata
Haramai, haramai
Taku mokopuna e.
Meaning of symbol: Te kōhanga reo literally means, ‘the language nest’ and symbolises a warm and secure place where the young are nurtured, surrounded by their whānau, their culture and language. The outer circular shape represents an holistic structure – where the entire whānau are an integral part of each kōhanga reo. Kaumātua are the ‘keepers’ of tribal knowledge, the parents and kaiako actively participate alongside children who absorb te reo Māori and tikanga Māori as a process of intergenerational transmission.