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Matariki celebration BestStart Manukau
This year 2022, Best Start Manukau, celebrated Matariki full of spirit/matakuikui with the support/taupua and collaboration/kūpapa of our beautiful Whānau, kaiako and tamariki.
To start this celebration, our children/tamariki were engaged with full of energy/pūngao to do all the artworks that represent our Matariki: the Māori New year. Our tamariki were busy doing all the art/ mohi tohi work including weaving/raranga, making kites using paper plates and decorating them with different colour cuttings, making matariki stars/Puanga using wool, making their own koru by using salt dough, and setting their future goals.
On an auspicious night, all our Whānau were welcomed with warmth/āhurutanga and greetings/rāhiritanga. All our tamariki were dressed up nicely in the black/mangu outfits. Our kaikao took the initiative to dress up our little tamariki in cultural outfits/piu piu with moko on their faces.
Once all the whanau got settled, our celebration started with our National Anthem and then Our kaiako Kira welcomed all the families with a welcome speech. After the welcome speech our tamariki came to the front and they were introduced by our kaikao Kira to represent all the Seven stars: Matariki, Pōhutukawa, Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-ā-rangi, Tupuānuku, Tupuārangi, Ururangi, and Hiwa-i-te-rangi. Later our tamariki sang and danced on songs which were Oma Rapeti, Ngā Whetū O Matariki, Waitī Waitā. The program ended with the children doing the Haka in their mighty voices, followed by a pukana!
All the activities were planned well, and all the whanau had a feel of whanaungatanga. After the celebration all the whanau, kaiako, and our tamariki enjoyed kai that represents whakawhanaungatanga.
All of the extended whanau enjoyed the celebration with full of excitement and aroha.