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We've had a busy month!
During the month of February, at BestStart Cornwall Street, across the three rooms, Pūrerehua, Fetuao and Tongarerewa we acknowledged Waitangi Day through discussing what Waitangi Day stands for, and what it means to each of us.
As part of our Quality in practice we as a centre have been looking into the ways which we support tikanga, te ao and te reo Māori. As a result, we have been learning new waiata at whāriki times and strengthening our knowledge of te ao Māori through experiences and activities such as exploring mahi toi to create pendants and learn about the different symbols and Māori patterns, singing waiata using te reo Māori. We learnt about te ao Māori and papatūānuka through gardening and exploring taiao and learnt about Māori history through pukapuka as we explored Māori stories.
Over the past few months, we have been observing the life cycle of the monarch pūrerehua, and this month we have had the opportunity to watch many emerge from the chrysalises.
As part of our internal evaluation, which is around sustainable practice, we have been introducing loose parts into our environment and ākonga have been learning about the endless learning and play possibilities the loose parts can bring, such as a cardboard tube makes a wonderful tunnel, telescope and drumstick.
To extend on the knowledge of how recyclable material can be used we had the International Puppet Group (Garden of the Shadow) visit Pūrerehua room. They used puppets made from recycled materials to perform "Maui and the Fish". After the show, ākonga were able to explore these puppets themselves.