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A Katitkati Matariki Celebration
Celebrating Matariki, the Maori New Year, at BestStart Katikati is enjoyed by all. It is celebrated in June when a small group of stars called Pleiades rises above the horizon, bringing the old year to a close and starting a new year. Throughout the month the children create crafts, sing songs, read stories, and learn about the 9 stars. This is followed by the making of friendship soup which is shared with whanau (family). This year our celebrations included a small performance by the children. Showing parents some of the songs that they have been learning.
By joining in with Matariki celebrations the children are learning about our local culture and they gain a sense of belonging. It is a time to share food with others and our children love to help prepare the donated vegetables for the soup. This is a great way to encourage them to eat the soup as well. Sharing the soup with their families brings a sense of pride. Following our own celebrations, a group of children got to walk down to Lexham Park and sing our Matariki songs to the elderly. Sharing the celebrations with the elderly always brings joy and happiness. Building strong connections between the young and old. The attached photos show how Matariki brings our small Katikati whanau together. The teachers, children, family, and community all coming together.