On ANZAC Day, members of our BestStart Kelvin Grove whānau joined our local Ashhurst community to gather and pay tribute to those who have served.
Our wreath was a reflection of our centre learning priority - “Kotahitanga/Teamwork” (‘I am a part of a team with my friends, kaiako, and whānau) as it was constructed from an array of poppies made by children from all 4 of our classrooms - from babies to preschoolers, expressing their creativeness using a range of paint and collage materials.
The creation of the poppies allowed time and space to create opportunities for conversations and questions, building deeper understanding around the meaning of ANZAC Day and working together to achieve our shared goal of creating a beautiful wreath.
At the midday service, waiting to hear our centre's name called, a small group of our preschoolers clutched the wreath lovingly and, guided gently by their kaiako, the children stepped forward together, placing their tribute at the foot of the memorial during the community’s civic service.
After the formalities concluded, the children remained quietly curious. We wandered past the growing circle of floral wreaths, noticing the different shapes and sizes and quietly developing further understandings... "What letter is this one in the shape of?" a kaiako asked. "K!" someone excitedly knew. “That’s for the country K, K, K, K, Korea,” kaiako explained.
Nearby, another child pointed to the purple poppies nestled among red ones. “Purple flowers!” they exclaimed. Kaiako explained that purple poppies represent the animals like horses and dogs that served with the soldiers, some of whom were hurt. One wreath featured an anchor, “That’s for the Navy,” – the people who worked on the boats, someone said. A wreath adorned with a police emblem sparked curiosity, too. “That one’s from the police,” another child announced, recognising the badge symbol from their prior knowledge.
Some tamariki noticed the crosses that people had added their poppy pins to and chose to put some of the kaiako poppies that they had been wearing alongside these as well. By the end of the visit, the children had not only participated in a national tradition but had also been part of real-life learning and remembrance.
It was a gentle introduction to ANZAC Day—one that began with a simple wreath, and ended as a reflection of our centre vision – at one with child, whanau, and community. This learning experience also particularly embodied our centre learning priorities of “Kōrero / Communication” - I use my words to communicate, contribute, share ideas, and express myself, and “Respect / Manaakitanga” - I show kindness, care, and understanding for others and the environment we share.