This year for Matariki here at Beststart Kelvin Grove we truly lived our vision of "Being at one with child, whanau and community"
With kotahitanga at the forefront, tamariki and kaiako worked to transform our centre into a hub of activity where the 7 stars were celebrated. We started the evening with a wonderful performance from our tamariki.
Their mana beaming as they proudly stood with their kaiako first telling us the importance of the stars and then sharing in some waiata. Soon, it was time to explore.
Our preschool rooms were transformed into a whare kai where the stars of Tupuānuku and Tupuārangi hung over the soup, fruit crumbles and pot luck kai. Tamariki could explore Waitī and Waitā with water colour painting and ocean provocations in Kōwhai room.
Poi and manu tukutuku flew in the winds of the Ururangi star in Koru room. We were lucky this year to have a visit from our local MP- Tangi Utikere and we are so thankful to have had him come and see the wonderful evening we had prepared. We even shared with him the joy of icy ‘gloop’ set beneath the star of Waipunarangi, before he left with his putiputi woven from the harakeke harvested from our environment.
Mayor Grant Smith was also invited. Though he would have loved to be there wasn’t able to make it, but he kindly donated some Matariki pukapuka and kai for our whānau to enjoy. Matariki is always one of our most meaningful evenings as it gives us a chance to come together and celebrate Te Tau Hou - The Māori New Year.
It’s a time to reflect on the past, celebrate the present and look forward to the future.