Students and staff at Cromwell College on Tuesday (September 16) swapped uniforms and work attire for outfits celebrating their cultural heritage - all while collecting donations for the local foodbank.

Some draped flags over their shoulders, others pulled on national sports colours or traditional dress, and one teacher even dusted off their kilt for a trip to the science lab.

Cultural prefect Kees Johnson, one of a group of students behind the idea, styled the Tino Rangatiratanga flag as a neck scarf.

He said the day was aimed at encouraging people at the school to feel proud of their culture.

“Having a diverse group of students with different cultural backgrounds, it’s just cool for them to show who they are as people and to embrace their identity.”

Amelia Dickey, another of the school’s cultural prefects, explained the day was about looking outwards as well as inwards.

Students were asked to bring an item for the Cromwell Foodbank in exchange for a uniform-free day at school.

“People brought in heaps of canned goods and food, and also some hygiene products as well, so that we can give back,” she said.

Bags, baskets and boxes of donated goods were collected from classrooms throughout the morning, taking over the entry area at the school’s office, awaiting delivery to the local foodbank.

Kees said it felt good to do something for the wider Cromwell community, which “supports us in so many ways”.

The event was timed for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori/Māori Language Week, and cultural committee member Axel Languik-Owen said the student organising crew had prepped some games for lunchtime too.

“There’s tī rākau - you have these sticks in a circle, and you say either ‘right’ or ‘left’, so ‘matau’ or ‘maui’ in Māori, and you’ve got to listen and move in that direction.”

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