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Matariki Moments
Matariki marks the start of the Māori new year. Matariki is represented through the cluster of Matariki stars. This is a time for people to reflect on the past year as well as to celebrate the present and plan for the year ahead. Matariki is always a big event for us to celebrate here at BestStart Faringdon East. We enjoy participating in some friendly competition in decorating each of our rooms in the lead up to our annual Matariki evening celebration. This is a special time for Kaiako, tamariki and whanau to come together to celebrate.
This year in the Pūriri rūma we did something a little different. In the two weeks leading up to our annual Mātariki celebration we decided to dedicate a day to each of the 9 stars of Matariki. Kaiako and tamariki focused on learning about each of the stars through many wonderful art/craft activities as well as through singing, dancing and stories. As each day progressed we displayed all of our activities relating to each star around our room, creating the most amazing and enchanting space for our whānau and tamariki.
Focusing on each of the nine stars of Mātariki gave the children a better understanding of what each star represented. The children were so excited and engaged to learn about the names of each of the stars and the meaning behind them. This gave our tamariki the opportunity to engage in Te Ao Māori through storytelling and hands on learning though each related activity.
Each day after learning about each star Tamariki were then excited to share their knowledge with their whānau, kaiako and peers.