During Matariki festivities, people gather together to celebrate the passing of one year and the hope of a new one. This whakataukī speaks to us about the gathering of people at Matariki time.

Principal Pondering…

20 years ago, I left NZ to embark on 15 years teaching at IB International Schools in London and Hong Kong. I remember on one of the return trips to NZ hearing about Matariki for the first time… it was completely new to me and I didn’t understand how this had ‘suddenly’ come about.  After a little investigating - I realised this had not ‘suddenly’ come about but was in fact something I had never been aware was part of the bi-cultural significance in Aotearoa.  It made me realise that while I was learning about many different cultures overseas, I had a lot to learn about the cultures here at home, especially our bi-cultural heritage.

I’m a natural inquirer, which is probably why I love the IB so much - it gives so much scope for learners to be curious, knowledgeable and develop skills such as research and thinking - so important in today’s society!  This also prompted me to find out more about Matariki and I have even bought our first telescope, so as a family we can do some Matariki star gazing!

Here is some key information that I found interesting and relevant to our kura and community.

The nine stars of Matariki

It is a common misconception that Matariki is seven sisters. There are nine stars in the Greek tradition of the constellation: seven children and their parents. In the Māori tradition, there are also nine stars:

1. Matariki (Alcyone) – the mother of the other stars in the constellation. Rehua (Antares) is the father but is not considered part of the Matariki constellation.

2. Pōhutukawa – connects Matariki to the dead and is the star that carries our dead across the year (Sterope/Asterope).

3. Tupuānuku – is tied to food that grows in the ground (Pleione).

4. Tupuārangi – is tied to food that comes from above your head such as birds and fruit (Atlas).

5. Waitī – is tied to food that comes from fresh water (Maia).

6. Waitā– is tied to food that comes from salt water (Taygeta).

7. Waipunarangi – is tied to the rain (Electra).

8. Ururangi – is tied to the winds (Merope).

9. Hiwaiterangi/Hiwa – is the youngest star in the cluster, the star you send your wishes to (Celaeno).

The stars are both female and male, in balance with each other.  There is a connection between the meanings of the stars and their position in the sky.  Tupuarangi is above Tupuanuku because the sky is above the earth, Waitī is above Waitā because fresh water flows down to salt water, Waipunarangi and Ururangi are above all the rest because the rain and wind come from above.  The two sacred stars Pōhutukawa and Hiwa-i-terangi are away from the other stars because there is no tapu in the areas relating to food.

You may recognise some of the stars and their connection with some of our classrooms? I know there is so much more to learn about Matariki, but for now, I am happy that I will be spending the weekend with loved ones, sharing great kai and reflecting on the past year and the year to come.  It is a wonderful opportunity for coming together as a whānau and community.

It was lovely seeing the children coming in for Matariki morning with whānau who popped in with them to share kai and hot drinks.

Feedback

I have had quite a few parents give me feedback regarding my previous Principal Pondering regarding gender bias and stereotypes.  It certainly seemed like a good topic of conversation and we can go a little deeper with this in an upcoming newsletter.  One comment that really resonated with me was the following, “Let's get behind saying some nice things to each other in this world where more & more people are not feeling good about themselves.”

Following this great advice I would like to spread some kind words about Farah L and Zara H, our Y8 Cultural Leaders who have gone above and beyond in organising the Matariki morning. It is amazing to see our Y8 students taking on such strong leadership roles within the school. One of the strengths of Te Kura o Paeraki | Mt Pleasant School, would have to be the leadership skills and attitudes we develop in our students - which really shines through at the Y7 and 8 level. The girls were also supported by Nina Ferguson who made this first ever Matariki morning such a success.

Closure Reminders

Just a couple of reminders for the last few weeks of term:

• Thursday 23 June (tomorrow) - Teacher Only Day - School Closed
  
• Friday 24 June - Matariki - School Closed
  
• Tuesday 28 June - Whānau Conferences - School Closed from 2:00pm
  
• Thursday 30 June - Whānau Conferences - School Closed from 2:00pm
  
• Thursday 7 June - Whānau Conferences - School Closed from 2:00pm
  

I hope you all have a lovely Matariki weekend with your friends and whānau however you choose to spend it - hopefully with plenty of great kai! 💫

Donna