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Embracing our heritage
BestStart Montel Avenue's values lay deep in the connections that we have with our tamariki, whānau, community and each other. Through partnership with whānau we strengthen our understanding of their values and aspirations for their child. And through this relationship, we connect deeper to the roots of cultural identity and authentic ways of celebrating who we are and what is important within our values and beliefs. We have been focusing on whānau’s sense of belonging within the centre and ways in which we can support them to contribute and be a part of their child’s learning as well as the centre’s programme.
This month we celebrated Cook Island Language Week, the theme for ‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani (Cook Islands Language Week) was 'Ātuitui’ia au ki te au peu o tōku kāinga Ipukarea, meaning, ‘Connect me to the traditions & culture of my homeland’. We are blessed to have a Kaiako from Rarotonga and through her teaching, she instils the values and importance of her culture through her leadership, planning, sharing and guidance throughout our celebration.
Through the wealth of knowledge of our team and the whanau partnerships already built, we are identifying the strengths of our whanau and welcoming them in to grow and develop our own local curriculum. As a team, we are always looking to the future and finding our ‘why’ and ‘where to next’ so to support this growth and learning we will continue this path of partnership and unity as a centre community and continue to share their voices, their teachings and inspire their confidence to share their culture so that we may continue to deepen our own connections.