Smallest school takes on big task

“Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light” was cheerily sung by Rutaki primary school students at the raising of the United States national flag alongside that of the Cook Islands and Wallis and Futuna.
At the launch of the adopt-a-country programme Rutaki was chosen to support the USA under-21 netball team for the World Youth Netball Championships.
Rutaki primary school may be the smallest school on Rarotonga but it has a big heart and big voices to go with it.
The school had faced closure because of a declining roll however the dedicated staff and an enthusiastic school committee, with the help oflocal MP the Hon Tom Marsters, have seen numbers increase to vindicate keeping it open.
Although all the WYNC netball teams, including the Americas, are accommodated at the Edgewater Resort, the school will be cheering for them at their games and will probably host them for a visit to the school.
During the mini games athletes from Wallis and Futuna and Palau will be accommodated at Rutaki so the school has learnt the national the anthem for Wallis and Futuna (a French overseas territory) and will need tolearn Palau’s anthem.
All schools around Rarotonga and the Southern Group islands are involved with the adopt-a-country project.