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Cook Island Language week at BestStart Mangere East
We had a special visitor from one of our parents in the Babies Room. Her name is Chelsea and she came to teach the preschool children some action songs in the Cook Islands language. Chelsea was beautifully dressed in her traditional garments and was wearing a special head garland called an "Ei katu".
The tamariki in Te Whare Hana had fun and were very attentive to learning the actions that Chelsea was teaching them. They learned some basic greetings and other simple words that we were able to practice with her. Our tamariki love to learn different languages and they already know some songs in Samoan, Tongan, Nepalese, and Te Reo Maori.
After Chelsea taught the children some traditional Cook Islands dancing, I could see how engaged and entertained our children were, gracefully moving to the beat of the drums playing. Our parents' contributions to their children's learning have been wonderful, as this has made a positive impact on children's learning seeing their whanau here in the centre and being a part of their children's learning.
Our children later on were able to make their own "ei" to take home and share with their families. This is an example of how we celebrate and embrace the importance of children's culture in BestStart Mangere East.