Ako Time & Matariki

During the last week of Term 2, we put aside time during Ako for ākonga to learn more about Matariki (Māori New Year). Matariki is a time to gather with family and friends to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. It was important that every Ako session started with a karakia, respecting both cultural and spiritual domains. During these Ako sessions, students learnt about what Matariki is, why the dates change each year, the stories of how the stars came to be, and what each star means. To make learning the star names more engaging, ākonga needed to complete a photo treasure-hunt around the school to find and name all of the stars. Our ākonga had lots of fun running around the school to find the different stars. We hope that the learning they did during this week will give ākonga (and teachers) more understanding and appreciation of Matariki. This is especially important due to the recent announcement that Matariki will be celebrated with an annual public holiday from 2022.

Mānawatia a Matariki! Happy New Year!