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Getting ready for Waitangi Day
Over the last couple of weeks Kaiako at BestStart Wainoni in the nursery have been providing opportunities for tamariki to participate in art activities to celebrate Te Rā o Waitangi. In our art activities we explored the Māori colours Whero, Pungu and Ma, creating stunning designs leading to meaningful conversations by Kaiako, fostering our tamariki curiosity and cultural awareness.
Our celebrations extended to table top activities, literacy/books, dress ups and mat times where we sang waiata (Te reo songs) and also incorporated Te reo Māori at mat time. Tamariki created their own feathers for the Korowai which is now displayed on our wall. While creating our feathers Kaiako interacted with tamariki, and through these conversations our pepe developed an appreciation for Te Rā o Waitangi and different customs.
Through these types of activities we are empowering children to become culturally responsive and confident individuals. These experiences connected perfectly with Te Whariki, Mana Aoturoa, encouraging exploration and enabling our tamariki to discover the world around them. It also aligns with our centre philosophy through striving and building collaborative partnerships with learners, their families and our wider community Manaa kitanga. Our Whanau have also commented on our beautiful Korowai on the wall.