Southland Flooding 2020
On Friday the 6th March, Christina and her daughter Mackenzie visited our three Gore Kindergartens to share the kind donations our Winton families had contributed. Each kindergarten had their own unique story to share regarding the impact that this natural disaster had on them personally, their kindergarten community, and wider Gore region. They all shared their gratitude and wished to pass on their thanks to you all for thinking of them at this time. Kia ora everyone :)
Winton Kindergarten Whakapapa
To know who you are and where you are going, you must know where you are from....
In 2016 we shared a woven waka as part of the Murihiku Polyfest Art Awards. Following this the waka was placed in an unused shop front along Winton's Main Street for the public to enjoy. With a new display needing this space, it was time for our waka's final voyage. We have spent the week lovingly up-cycling both the tauihu and taurapa, which now greet us each day in our entrance. How significant to have had Jomae's brother, Jae-Bryce, be the original designer of the tauihu, and 4 years later Jomae has helped to restore this. A big thank you to all our artists who have lent a hand breathing new life into our special masterpieces.
Metamorphorsis ...
Our munching/crunching caterpillars continue to intrigue us on a daily basis.
Taiao Tuhura
Hunter Elder has been busy sharing his kete of knowledge, being our Taiao Tuhura expert,taking all our new friends to discover some of our favourite spaces, places, routines and rituals,that make up our mornings at Ivy Russell Reserve. On his last day with the gang, he shared a special gift at the Fantail Tree so that we remember where to stop to look and listen for the Fantail that was noticed back in October! If you are out and about at Ivy Russell Reserve, do keep an eye and ear open for this special spot!
Your Mihi
This Term Elle has re-introduced Mihi from Term 4 last year.
Mihi is a wonderful Maori custom about introducing yourself to others by sharing your whakapapa and where you come from.
When Mihi are shared they create opportunities for tangata to connect and reconnect.
These Mihi will be displayed at Kindy and will sit with a self portrait. Some tamariki have already began to create theirs and they look amazing!! We sure do have some budding artists!
"When we invite children to create self-portraits, we offer them mirrors and encourage long sustained study of their faces from this unfamiliar perspective (outside looking in). Then we ask them to re-create themselves on paper, weaving together the image they see in the mirror with the person they experience themselves to be.
Their portraits are eloquent statements of self." (Pelo, 2007)
If you have not received a Mihi please ask kaiako, and if you have one at home already we would love to see it :)
Today we had a special visit from a renowned New Zealand advocate of Early Childhood Education, Wendy Lee, Director of Educational Leadership Project.
Wendy had a wonderful time sharing in our morning being greeted by our tamariki and learning more about Winton Kindergarten - Wendy also visited us last year as a judge for the Educational Excellence Awards.
Please remember to remain safe out there and to let us know if your child is unwell. Please follow hygiene measures set by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education and keep your child at home if they are unwell for example; coughing, sneezing, runny nose or any other unhealthy symptoms.
Lets look after each other!
Nau Mihi
The Winton Kindy Teaching Team
