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Celebrating Matariki at BestStart Newmarket
Today we invited all the family members to come and celebrate Matariki (Maori New Year) together at BestStart Newmarket. Our Whanau turned up to join in the fun as a community. This was to support the value of whanaungatanga, the connections we develop with people, places and things over time, and respect our heritage.
The children took the responsibility of performing very seriously and put a lot of effort into practicing and preparing. Our Tamariki welcomed their whanau by singing "Tena koe". As a presentation for whānau, our tamariki performed with poi and sung with confidence the well-known "E Rere Taku Poi" and "Tutiro mai nga iwi". They have been practising Maori stick games (Tī tī tōrea) consisting of the rhythmic hitting of rakau (Te Rakau). They were proud to present the simple version of it by singing the song "E papa wairi".
Sharing food is such a big part of our Matariki celebration. we had special afternoon tea together, where children and parents were involved in contributing veggies and making the veggie soup. Everyone brought along a plate to share together and along with the homemade soup, there was a lot to go around.
Educating, connecting communities and stimulating children’s imaginations are all opportunities that Matariki brings.