On the 3rd of February 1931, Napier experienced an earthquake that changed the landscape and lives of people living in the Hawke's Bay reigon.
Napier remembers and celebrates the rebuilding of our beautiful city with an Art Deco Festival running over 4 days.
A lot of our families take part in this festival and here at Montessori Taradale, every year we celebrate the story of our special place — Napier — by stepping into the past together.
Tamariki arrived dressed in Art Deco styles and we had a visit from Helen and Steve with their vintage car, Esmeralda. Our tamariki were able to sit in the car to have their photos taken, and many compared how different it is to mum and dad's modern cars.
For lunch, we laid out enough tables and chairs to eat together for a "long lunch", similar to the one held in town over Art Deco weekend. As we ate together, conversations naturally turned to how families celebrate the weekend and attend events.
The picnic became a living example of manaakitanga — caring for each other — just as the community once cared for one another while rebuilding their town, our town of Napier.