Kaitiakitanga - turtles, plastic and Tangaroa

We have furthered our kōrero about Kaitiakitanga this week in the wake of our visit to Island Bay Marine Education Centre. Over the week we have read a number of books and watched a number of different video clips about some of the creatures we interacted with that day.

One of the memorable creatures for the tamariki of Harakeke were the seaturtles we saw there.

We watched the following clip alerting us to the dangers of plastic in the ocean. This started a kōrero about how to be good kaitiaki of Tangaroa.

We went for a quick hīkoi to the front of the kura. We looked carefully at what was in the gutters leading down to a drain. Just the short frontage on one side of the crossing.

We talked about what would happen when it rained. Where the water would run and how it would take the rubbish with it. 

We all felt very concerned for the well being of the turtles and the other children of Tangaroa. Luckily we were able to collect this rubbish and dispose of it properly before it got washed away.

The tamariki from Harakeke made an outstanding effort to collect rubbish from around the school today - protecting Papatūānuku, as well as Tangaroa. Tino pai rawa atu ō koutou mahi i tēnei wiki tamariki mā! 

Haerenga to Island Bay Marine Education Centre

We finished our week with an incredibly exciting trip to Island Bay Marine Education Centre. This is part of our Kaitiakitanga kaupapa for this term. We are learning about what lives in our oceans, creating a personal connection so that we might all find ways to take care of it. 

Dr. Victor and Elliot welcomed us to the centre and cared for us while we were there. They gave us a space to have our kai, then took us down to the centre to view the sealife there.

It was an extraordinary day! We got to hold sea stars! Well... cushion stars!

Sea anenomes! Snake stars! Sea cucumbers!

MĪHARO! It was AMAZING! 

We have been reading up this week about octopus' - never imagining we would get so up and personal with a real octopus!!! We could watch it as it slinked up the glass with it's suction cups. It's long tentacles dancing in the water. It was mesmerising to watch!

It was such an amazing experience!

We went outside to further our experience by searching for sea creatures in the rock pools outside. We each got a net for our mahi - then went to search the rock pools for what we could find. 

We found seaweed, sea snails, limpets and could see in the water other types of seaweed and kina!

It was so great to get such an up close and personal look.

We had a kai and a play at the Island Bay papa tākaro before jumping back on the bus for our return journey. An AWESOME day was had by all. He mihi mutunga kore ki ngā mātua! A huge thank you to those whānau that joined us for the trip - we could not go without you! 

No reira tēnā koutou katoa!

Oma rooooaaaaa! Cross Country

 Tuesday saw the full kura troop down to Haruātai Park to take part in our annual Cross Country running. It was a beautiful day and the tamariki ran their hearts out. It was lovely to have so many of our whānau join us to cheer then tamariki on! Ngā mihi nui!

We went for a quick play before returning to kura...

Kaitiakitanga - Seaweed Tea

 As part of our learning around kaitiakitanga we have been working in our maara outside the classroom. Growing our seeds, nuturing our seedlings. Our kakano have germinated and the tipu are growing. We want to ensure they continue to grow strong and so look for ways to nuture them. Seaweed tea gives nutrients to grow strong and is very easy to make. We made a trip to the beach to gather seaweed for this purpose.

On the way we stopped to have a close look at a banana tree. We were excited to see to see the large bunch of bananas and the type of tree they grew on. Turns out you can grow anything in 'Sunny Ōtaki'!

Then off to the beach!

In no time at all the bucket was filled up with seaweed...

Then we could PLAY! Off down the beach to the 'stick hut'!

Then it was time to return to kura for lunch.

We will fill the bucket up with water then leave it for a couple of weeks to 'brew'. Then we can use it on our maara.

Te Ika a Māui - Mahi Toi

Harakeke has been really fasinated by the pūrākau about how Mauī fished up a land. We have read the book by Peter Gossage so many times - every day for some weeks as chosen by the tamariki as we come inside after lunch. Tamariki have had so many questions about what is described in this book - as well as the art.

Harakeke created their own artwork in response to their interest. We have worked on this over a number of days. Only a picture of each tamaiti features instead of Mauī. We have some pretty amazing tamariki in Harakeke - every bit as clever as Mauī.

Harakeke shared their mahi toi with the kura at Hui-a-Kura.

Duffy Theatre - Duffy and Scruffy's Pawsome Adventure

We are a school that is supported by Duffy Books in Homes.

Duffy Books in homes vision;

To inspire a love of books in Duffy children so they become adults who inspire a love of reading.

The tamariki all are given books from this foundation in the time they are with us. The theatre comes once a year and is something we all look forward to. The Duffy Theatre visited us today.

A brief synopsis of the kōrero taken from the Duffy Books in Homes site. (https://booksinhomes.org.nz/duffy-theatre/)

Duffy and Scruffy’s Aunty Ana/Uncle Ben is the best! They are the epitome of a cool aunty/uncle but they have some sad news, they need to move to Australia for their job! Duffy and Scruffy are devastated until Ana/Ben suggests they start a book club and write physical letters to each other as a way of staying in touch. The letters spring back and forward between Aotearoa and Aussie until one day when they mysteriously stop; Aunty Ana/Uncle Ben has gone missing! Scruffy thinks they know why and is ready to solve another mystery. This story is full of super-hero adventures and furry animals, will reading be able to save the day again!

It is such an awesome opportunity for the kura katoa to watch live theatre. The show is extremely entertaining and engaging for all. 

Whakawhiti ingoa/name change - Rourou/Kete Harakeke

 Due to the rise in our numbers in the nohinohi class - new entrants. After consultation we have opened a new classroom which will be called 'Rourou' - with Room 8 taking on the permanent name of Kete Harakeke. 

He pānui whakamohio tēnei. Just to let you know of the changes. The blog address will stay the same however, for those already following for their tamaiti. But from this point ko Harakeke te ingoa mō te nohinohi o Ngāi Kete.

Ngā mihi.

Kaitiakitanga - wai āporo!

 Nā mātou te waimārie! We are so lucky at Ōtaki School to have a maara kai! There are a number of fruit trees and garden beds in the maara. At this time of year tamariki can be found foraging for fruit. It is important to know when to harvest the fruit and how to do so carefully so as to not damage the tree.

Last week Rourou went down to the maara to pick some apples - noting which ones were ripe for picking and carefully pulling them from the branches without breaking the branch.

We picked an abundance of apples - with the plan the next day to juice them.

It was a lovely way to finish off our week creating some wai āporo - apple juice together. 

Reka rawa! Delicious!

Sock Puppets!

Sock puppet making is somehting tamariki really enjoy - it is a chance to be creative and express their own ideas about the character they are creating. As well as a medium to have conversations with each other in a fun way. The joy of being with five year olds is that we can completely get caught up in our characters! Here is some of our process of making our sock puppets...

Kaitiakitanga

 We turn our focus to the matapono - Kaitiakitanga - for this term. 

We sowed some seeds at the end of last term and over the holidays these have germinated. These are perpetual spinach. We have added to our containers by sowing more seeds this week. We have been talking about what seeds need to germinate - soil, water and warmth. 

Here we are at the beginning of the week with our new seedlings and some freshly sown seeds...

We are developing our ideas about kaitiakitanga and what it means to be a good kaitiaki. Over the coming weeks we will work together in the maara to take care of Papatūānuku. To feed the soil to make it a good place to grow our seedlings. To prepare one of our maara for spring sowing. We will grow this knowledge alongside the growth of our tipu, our seedlings.

Sowing our seeds.

Placing them in our nursery outside the classroom.

Easter Egg Hunt! Oma Rāpeti!

 On the last day of Term 1 2025 to celebrate our awesome tamariki following our school values this term, we had an easter egg hunt. While we were at karakia, chocolate eggs and bunnies were hidden around the school playground. 

Rourou was first off the mark as the nohinohi, the youngest of the kura.

It wasn't long before eggs were being found!

They ran here, there and everywhere!

Nearly 200 eggs and twelve rabbits were found around the school. There was an egg for everyone taking part. What an awesome way to finish our first term for 2025! 

Kia pai te hararei e te whānau! Hei te wahanga tuarua!

Have a great holiday! See you next term!