LATEST STORIES
Our Winter Holiday Programme
Celebrating Matariki is an important part of our culture and learning at BestStart Tauranga Central. Not only do we enjoy discovering more about our place in the universe, the planets, moons, stars, clusters and constellations but we also love sharing these special moments with our families.
Over the course of our holiday programme, tamariki and kaiako learnt many wonderful things about our katiaki; the guardians of our special place in the universe. We went on a journey of discovery, exploring the different roles and responsibilities of each guardian on different days as part of our Matariki experience.
- Ranginui – we learnt about the sky and discovered different types of Kapua (clouds), which we recreated in art.
- Tangaroa - we learnt about our seaside and oceans; what lives in it, how it provides for us and how to care for it. We fished for Ika in our own Moana.
- Tānemahuta - we learnt about trees and birdlife, making wild bird feeders for our native manu.
- Tāwhitmatea – We discovered the power of the wind and made Tukutuku (kites) fly in it
- Tūmatauenga - we discovered our strength and power through sports, and physical challenges as well as construction.
- Haumiatiketike and Rongomātāne – we learnt about our domestic and wild food and flora, through gardening, juicing, baking and foraging.
- Ruaumoko - we learnt about our local volcanic whenua and built a mountain range including Tongariro, Ruapehu, Ngarahoe, Taranaki, and our very own Mauao, which all erupted simultaneously in our sandpit.
- Papatūānuku – we discussed all the wonderful ways we can care for each other and protect our incredible planet.
Our Matariki experiences culminated in a gathering with our whānau and friends, singing and sharing food. With a wonderful turnout and a lot of aroha.