Term 2 Week 9

Matariki...Have you seen the Seven Sisters of Matariki? Make sure to check the night sky for the Matariki Cluster...A handy hint below...read on...

Star Dome @ Heddon Bush School on Wednesday
Wow, what an eye-opening experience! Heddon Bush School warmly welcomed us as we joined them for the morning, sharing in their Matariki celebration. The perfect opportunity for our first Polyfest Kapahaka rehearsal, which was a success singing Tong Tong Tong and Tutiri Mai Nga Iwi in front of our Parent Helpers and the New Entrant Class. After morning tea we headed over to the community hall and met Richard from the Fiordland Astronomy Organisation. Entering the Dome, we were immersed in darkness, only shadows indicating where we were to tip-toe around the circumference to find a spot to sit and wait in anticipation! Planets, Constellations, Shooting Stars, the Matariki Cluster, Diamonds...we couldn't believe our eyes!

Did you know, a shooting star is the same size as a grain of sand?
Or that Matariki is best viewed just before Sunrise?
...We now do!

A big thank you to our many volunteers who came along to help out on the day! If you haven't been before or you'd like to head along again, the Star Dome will be at the Scottish Hall tomorrow (Saturday) 1-7pm as part of the Matariki celebrations in Invercargill - well worth the trip in!

Polyfest Art - Our special leaves have been screen printed and now our combined Polyfest Art piece is nearing completing ready for entry into this year's Polyfest Art Awards. A busy and creative term planning, designing, constructing, collecting, problem solving, and collaborating this special art piece that depicts the theme "Celebrate the Environment", and our overarching dispositional focus for the year "Ecological Identity".

Albatross Naming Competition - voting closes 5pm today! The perfect celebration of our Term 1 and 2 Albatross-Affair...Today the children voted on which name they liked best out of the 5 finalists for the "nameless chick" that we have watched grow and develop over the past few months. With 6 votes, the majority went to "Tumanako" with means hopes/dreams/wish. The name which receives the most votes will be announced on Tuesday...we wait in anticipation! If you would like to place your own vote - please click on the below link:

Click on the link to Vote for the Albatross Naming Competition

Tūmanako (means desire, hope, wish)

I believe the chick should be called Tūmanako, the Maori name for hope. Hope for the preservation of our native wildlife and the dedication of those who endeavour relentlessly to ensure their survival. My Mum is in a care hospital having suffered a massive stroke. My Dad and her watch the albatross all day and it gives them hope and inspiration as well as they see him/her preparing to take on the impossible, as indeed they are. — Julie McNaughton

The name Tūmanako was submitted by Elizabeth Graham, Katrina Ackeus, Julie McNaughton, Marian Bevan.

Voting closes 5 pm on Friday 30 June. One vote per person.

The final name will be decided by public vote. If multiple people submitted the winning name, the prize winner will be drawn at random by DOC staff. 

Vote for your favourite

Arran Laidir Māia Raukura Tūmanako

Polyfest T-Shirt Design Competition

This week we delivered our Polyfest T-Shirt Design entries to the judges...Watch this space! Ka kai to mahi to all our creative children and families. 

Email received from the judges:

Kia ora Winton Kindy

Thank you so much for your wonderful T-shirt competition entries!

We can really see that you've thought about this years theme!!

Good luck and we look forward to seeing you at Polyfest!

Ngā mihi

Pauline Smith, Tania Carran & Mandy Smith 

Next week is the last week of Term 2 - Fri 7 Jul.  Term 3 starts Mon 24 Jul.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ... GO THE ALL BLACKS!

Term 2 Week 8

A quieter week this week ... our Polyfest Art piece is in the final stages of completion.  Tks to everyone who shared a 'special' leaf & story with us.  Christina has created the framework, Elle has just about finished the leaf prints & Judy is busy creating a 'Documentation Book' to share with judges which will make our Art piece 'come alive'!

We have had some slippery snails (who will clean our fish tank) & some 'creepy crawlies' visiting this week.  Tks to Ryan Walker's Nan Shirley who brought in some snails & some rotted logs with some  live huhu grubs burrowed in the rotten wood.  Check out their amazing tunnelling skills!  Do you know who would LOVE to eat these?                 Comment below if you do!

And if you want to share a very cool story 'Old Huhu' & 'Huhu Koroheke' ... are very 'readable'!!!

Lantern making has been our focus this week in the lead up to our Matariki night on Wed night. And what a plus ... Mel from Winton Florist dropped in a box of 'treasures' for us following the closure of the business.  Thanks Mel. The lanterns looked amazing up the pathway & scattered around the Kindy.

Stunning!!!

Albatross Chick Competition  

 We just checked the DOC 'Name the Albatross Chick' competition.  We missed being selected in the top 5 but voting is open for the following names: Arran, Laidir, Maia, Raukura, Tumanako - click on this link to vote: http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/name-the-chick-competition/
Voting closes 5pm 30 Jun.

Next week (Wed 28) we are off to Heddon Bush School as part of the Fiordland Astronomy StarDome installation.  Permission form is on the kitchen bench ... please read the 'blurb' & ask any questions if you are unsure before signing.  The excursion is kindly paid for by Kindergartens South (Bus: $178 & Stardome cost: $90)  

                   Excursions are planned in conjunction with our programme focus and are an                                            excellent opportunity for children to actively participate & experience                                                                        the wonders of our wider community.

Have a great weekend ... GO THE MIGHTY ALL BLACKS!!!

The Teaching Team

Term 2 Week 7

2017 Polyfest Kapahaka - We are go!!!!

Wow what an amazing week we have had as we introduced two of our Polyfest performance songs; Tutira mai nga iwi a proud New Zealand Te Reo waiata and Tong, Tong Tong a catchy Filipino waiata (song) about an abundant crustacean (crab), prolific in this archipelago. The tamariki are beginning to learn the lyrics and dance movements as a group, timing, beat and multi-tasking, as we stomp a foot along to the beat while we sing.  Ka Pai tamariki ... we are off to a great start as we begin our Polyfest kapahaka journey.

Polyfest Art

The tamariki (children) have also began to add their art piece to our group Polyfest art display. Our theme this year 'Celebrate the environment' 'Whenua ki uta, Whenua ki tai'. The tree we are creating is off to a great start but it is still missing some leaves!! Please find a leaf with your child from a special place of yours to contribute to this display and answer the thought provoking questions on the leaf template in your parent pocket.  Thank-you to all of the tamariki and whanau who have already brought their leaf and contributing information in!!The tamariki have had a fabulous time exploring the texture, look and smell of their leaves and the paint during this screen printing experience. They have showed so much mana as they have shared their special place with their kaiako (teachers) and whoa (friends).

Leaves all Around

The tamariki have been exploring the leaves at Kindy as they think more about where and what leaf they will choose from their 'special place'. During these experience they have been exploring the  botany of leaves including investigations into the shiny side/dull side of leaves, what makes up a leaf (ie. the spine, veins), noticing the different shapes and colours of leaves, and trying to identify which tree they come from.  

As the tamariki investigated the leaves on Thursday they also took notice of another element of nature...the wind. This created another spark of questions. During this experience the tamariki explored their theories and ideas through pictures and shared them with each other and their kaiako. Did they share them with you to?

A Book to Share

We were lucky enough to have a visitor Isaac Harvey (7 yrs old) from St Thomas School who came along to Kindy on Tuesday. Isaac wrote and photographed an amazing story called 'Oil Trouble' which he shared with a group of Kindy children. At the end of the story Isaac gifted his book to Winton Kindy!! Wow what a kind thing to do!!
Thank-you Isaac!

Exploring Maori Legends

This week during Te Whananga Time the tamariki have been exploring puuraakau  - legends of the Maori culture. These included Maui Catches the Sun and How the Kiwi Lost it's Wings. These legends have provoked the children's imaginary.  And through this imaginary they were able to sketch their own ideals of the legends, the warriors and protectors of the Maori culture.

Matariki Night

Next Wednesday the 28th of June we are having our family Matariki Night here at Kindy 5pm - 7pm hosted by our wonderful Parent Group. A request from the Parent Group to all our families:- Can you pop into Kindy during the day to help out with the lantern making? See Megan Mitchell (President) for more information.

Consider coming along to Kindy next Wednesday with your warm clothes, plate of finger food, your torch and a stick to roast your marshmallow over our Kindy fire pit!!  It is indeed a wonderful opportunity to mix & mingle as we gather to celebrate this celestial phenomena.

We want to share your comments with our Senior Teachers ... so feel free to leave LOTS.  Are our Polyfest waiata (song) choices being sung @ home?  Comment below!

Aroha Nui,

Your Winton Kindy Teaching Team