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Learning about the Matariki Stars
This time of year is extra special as we celebrate Matariki – the Māori New Year. Nine days out from Matariki we have been learning about each of the nine stars of Matariki. Over the past two days we have been learning about two different stars. One called Tupuanuku and the other called Tupuarangi. Tupuanuku is the guardian of the everything that grows within the soil e.g., potatoes and kumara. Tupurangi is the guardian of everything that grows above your head such as fruit, berries and the birds. Yesterday the children helped Katie (one of our teachers) make fruit smoothies for afternoon tea. Everyone enjoyed talking about all the different berries and ingredients that went into the smoothies. They tasted delicious as an afternoon tea treat. Today other friends were able to practice their skills of peeling vegetables. Some friends chose to peel a kumara while other friends helped by peeling potatoes. Once they were all peeled and sliced, they were put together in a kumara and potato bake which we also tried for afternoon tea. This was something new for some of your friends but everyone had a taste test. Sharing our knowledge and experiences from home builds links between Brooklyn and at home. Peeling the vegetables helps to strengthen the hands and muscles for when our older friends start writing at school. Thank you to everyone who helped in the kitchen over the past couple of days.