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Celebrating Matariki at BestStart Petone

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Twinkling in the winter sky just before dawn, Matariki (the Pleiades) signals the Māori New Year. For Māori, the appearance of Matariki heralds a time of remembrance, joy and peace. It is time for communities to come together and celebrate and that is just what we do each year at BestStart Petone.

This year the children in our Jungle (Preschool) room put on a show for their whanau to the story and song "twinkle, twinkle, matariki" by Rebecca Larsen. While our children  are learning about this very unique celebration to Aotearoa they also built up the confidence to perform in front of a large crowd alongside their peers.  The wonders of storytelling, teamwork and collaboration were brought to life as they sung and acted their little hearts out all taking turns to share what they have learnt about each of the different stars. 

Twinkle twinkle, southern sky,

 Ranginui up so high, 

Matarkiki, happy new year, 

kai for all, a time to share, 

Waiti, lakes and rivers flow, 

Waita, oceans fall and grow, 

Waipuna-a-rangi, rain falls down, 

Ururangi, wind blows round, 

Tupu-a-nuku, underground kai 

Tupu-a-rangi, kai bush and sky, 

Hiwaiterangi, make a wish, 

Pohutukawa, blow a kiss

Looking down on you tonight, 

Tirama, tirama, starry night.