The students and teachers in Mokihi have enjoyed learning about Aotearoa NZ Histories in exciting ways this term.

The students and teachers in Mokihi have enjoyed learning about Aotearoa NZ Histories in exciting ways this term. Sam worked with the Y1 classes exploring the Ngāi Tahu story of Rākaihautu - how the lakes of the South Island were created and named. We learned that often place names have a story to tell and we explored this through Drama, Dance and Music. We used our imaginations and travelled back in time. Together, we travelled around the South Island on a magic flying Mokihi learning about the lakes as we went. We created dance movements to show how Rākaihautu dug the lakes and we explored musical rhythms of place names and the names of kai moana that Rākaihautu found on his journey. The Y2 students used Drama to explore the story of The Little Kiwi and the Treaty by Nikki Slade Robinson. This is a wonderful book that presents the concepts of Migration, Identity, Negotiation and Treaties in a way that is engaging and relatable for children. As we explored the story, the students were asked to consider the different motivations and perspectives of the two groups of Kiwis. The students took on the role of the Kiwis and designed a Treaty signing ceremony to help the Kiwis come to an agreement. There were lots of opportunities for discussion and problem solving along the way. It was great to see the students making connections to their learning about the Treaty of Waitangi. Next term, Sam will be working with the teachers and Y3 and Y4 students in Kopapa - exploring the school wide focus of 'Sustainability' in creative ways.