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Motutaiko Preparing for Matariki
At Motutaiko Street we are preparing for our Matariki celebrations in June. It is a time to share what we have harvested, to share with one another.
Tamariki are learning about Tupuānuku- Our soils and food grown in the earth, the care and work going into planting, caring and harvesting. Preparing the 'soil' 'planting' 'watering' and 'harvesting' Tupuānuku is the star connected to anything within the soil. This star also represents geographical features such as mountains, plains, and valleys. It is associated with the food grown in the ground. Tupuānuku is comprised of two words: ‘tupu’ which can mean ‘new shoot’ or ‘to grow’, and ‘nuku’, an abbreviation of ‘Papatūānuku’. Tupuānuku resides in the domain of Rongo-mā-Tāne, the atua of agriculture. This celebration gives us a wonderful opportunity to share our manaakitanga and aroha, and to give back to our community.
Teachers are always seeking authentic and meaningful ways to integrate and naturalise Te Ao Māori in our practice and philosophy. Matariki provides a wonderful gateway to explore learning about the Māori world view. For our community, Matariki is a time for learning, but also celebration and togetherness during the winter months, as we celebrate te wā o Matariki. Over the weeks of June we will explore various celebratory factors within Matariki, we will emphasize on five connecting strands for a range of experiences during this time of year.
Matariki (Māori tradition, language, culture) Whānau (family and extended supporting groups) Whenua (Land, country, nation) Kai (food, to eat, consume, feed) Kōrero (talk, communicate)