ANZAC Day

We were lucky to have a special visitor from Burnham Army base, Staff Sergeant Ed. He shared photos from his time in different places, as well as his medals and different vehicles.

We were also lucky to explore one of the Army trucks and sit inside. One of our Kaiako brought in photos from her dad when he was in the Army as well as one of our tamariki sharing medals from his Great Grandad. 

We read a special book Ka Maumahara Tonu (ANZAC book) and acknowledging the reasons for ANZAC day. Tamariki also had the opportunity to bake traditional ANZAC biscuits. It provided the tamariki with a hands-on experience for our children where they explored their motor abilities, as well as working together.

We also discussed the importance of ANZAC Day and why these particular biscuits link to ANZAC day connecting to Australian/NZ heritage, and remembrance made by the families to send to the soldiers during World War I as a durable, egg-free, and nutritious food source. The biscuits are designed to endure long sea journeys to the front line without spoiling. It also provided a great opportunity to work as a team, take turns and patience. The children also explored their creative side and were involved in making a handprint wreath and colouring poppy flowers which is a symbol of remembrance for ANZAC Day.

These activities sparked various conversations about the significance of ANZAC Day symbols and their connections to soldiers who fought for freedom. The children took part in discussion of our special ANZAC Day book, learning about the courage of our brave ANZAC soldiers.

This ANZAC Day has proven how incredibly important ANZAC Day is for our tamariki. Also, how it is imperative to keep NZ history alive, to understand the values of courage, sacrifice, and mate ship that define national identity. It promotes gratitude for peace, connects them to their heritage, and teaches empathy by remembering those who served and died in conflicts. It offers valuable lessons on resilience, service, and community.