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Matariki - Māori New Year!
Here at BestStart Kelvin Street, we like to recognise special celebrations throughout the year that reflect the unique and special way in which each culture celebrates. This month we celebrated a very special day called 'Matariki' - the Māori New Year. Matariki is a star cluster made up of 9 stars - Matariki, Tupuārangi, Waipuna-ā-Rangi, Waitī, Tupuānuku, Ururangi, Waitā, Pōhutukawa and Hiwa-i-te-Rangi. 'Matariki' is the star that signifies reflection, hope, our connection to the environment, and the gathering of people which was reflected in the learning experiences our tamariki engaged in. This is an important holiday to our nation and a fantastic way to discover how Māori people like to celebrate the coming year ahead. Tamariki did some amazing kāhui takirua|art work, while whānau wrote aspirations for tamariki for the year ahead. We learnt about each special whetu | star through pukapuka | books and storytelling. We also joined together for a special morning tea as we shared kai and a disco was pārekareka | enjoyed by everyone! Through engaging in cultural events like Matariki, children experience an environment where they experience the stories and symbols of their own and other cultures, allowing to build on their mana reo | communication skills and expressing themselves.