Somewhere over the rainbow!

This week was rainbow week and Ahuriri's amazing characters are the pot of gold at the end.  We have had a fun and colourful week using rainbows as our theme.  Take a look at all the learning in our photos below in maths, writing, art and play.

Singing about Matariki in Assembly

The Māori New Year has always been celebrated with the rise of the star cluster Matariki. It marks the beginning of the Aotearoa/Pacific New Year according to the lunar calendar. The Matariki stars this year rise from 13th - 19th July, the second week of the school holidays.

As part of celebrating Matariki we sang two songs in assembly this week:

What is Matariki?
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in mid-winter and for many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year.

Cycles of life and death
Traditionally, Matariki was a time to remember those who had died in the last year. But it was also a happy event – crops had been harvested and seafood and birds had been collected. With plenty of food in the storehouses, Matariki was a time for singing, dancing and feasting.

Features
A special feature of Matariki celebrations is the flying of kites – according to ancient custom they flutter close to the stars.

Fun in Ahuriri

We have been super lucky in Ahuriri this week!!

We had our fantastic Selwyn Sports Trust leader Jono here, teaching us some basketball skills on Wednesday, then we also had a live show from Deano Yipedee, which was very interactive and fun for everyone! Meanwhile the children did lots of activities based around our theme of Dragons this week. Please enjoy looking at some photos below.

 

Our ACTIVE Curriculum

Everyday the children play in Ahuriri but Friday is extra special.  We set up many stations to stimulate all the children's interests.  There is something for everyone!  The purpose of this time is to practise our values of Honesty, Care, Resilience and Respect while learning in lots of curriculum areas.  Take a look at all the happy children enjoying the activities today!