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

Term 2 Week 6

POLYFEST T-SHIRT DESIGN COMPETITION

Thanks to our families for returning your T-Shirt Design entries. If you haven't got a template yet, these are located on the square desk below the Parent Pockets. Entries due by Friday the 23rd of June please.

POLYFEST PERFORMANCE - MTW GROUP

This week we have narrowed down our song list, choosing to incorporated Tutira Mai Nga Iwi (courtesy of Glen Osborne - All Black and NZ Policeman and the Lions Tour), along with a Filipino song about a distinctive oceanic creature from this distinctive archipelago. Check out both these links below, as we begin to familiarilise ourselves more with these waiata for our Kapa Haka Polyfest Performance journey.

Filipino Crab Song for Polyfest 2017

Tutira mai nga iwi Song for Polyfest 2017




POLYFEST ART
Today we began to layout our template for our Polyfest Art Piece. More information regarding this is in Parent Pockets. Working with the glue gun in the Project Room enticed our TF friends, as we worked together to frame our blank canvas with beautiful fallen leaves collected by the Forest Kindy Kids at Ivy Russell Reserve in preparation for our screen printed leaves next week...Please remember to bring in your leaf next week to add your own special touch to our combined art entry. Our Project Room will be a hive of creativity for the remainder of the Term as we work together to produce our own "Celebration of the Environment" Art entry.

MATARIKI 

In the build up to our Matariki Celebration on Wednesday the 21st of June we have created our very own Outer Space for an even closer look at the Matariki Constellation! Climb on board our rocket, or open the flap...the choice is yours! 

Term 2 Week 5

Our week began on a Saturday this week as we showcased our Kindy to 42 Early Childhood & Primary Teachers throughout Southland.  REANZ (Reggio Emilia Aotearoa NZ) South hosted a 'gathering' of Reggio inspired teachers in a morning of collaborative exchange.  We 'humbly' received huge accolades on how 'engaging' our learning environment is ... so BIG kudos to the Teaching Team!

Polyfest 2017 - Whenua ki uta, whenua ki tai - Celebrate the Environment

We are in the beginning stages of designing our Art piece to be entered into the Murihiku Polyfest Art Exhibition (we have been accepted as a finalist in the past 5 years - no pressure!!!) Our T-shirts design forms are being distributed this week - check our FB post for more details. Our thoughts around our Art piece will be with the significance of the changing of the seasons (through investigations last term) through the collection of various coloured & various sized leaves. A notice will be out next week on our FB page of our intentions! 

To tatou pūngāwerewere ataahua

 

Our Pungawerewere (spider) continues to intrigue  ... Kaiako (teachers) have created a very interactive playscape, playfully provoking & acknowledging children's 'wonderings'.  I wonder what spiders eat?  What sound do spiders make?  'Have you seen a white-tailed spider ... I have?' - Annabella Rae. Wow ... Annabelle you have indeed found the one spider we MUST keep away from!!! Why?

And look at this spider by Sam Cairns.  Created with the Doodoo App on our iPad.  Spider webs & clay spiders have also been created this week - The Hundred Languages of Children is alive & well  - children representing their ideas a 'Hundred' ways!

 

And this week we have also introduced a 'Pungawerewere action song' along with sourcing a very busy Orb spider link which we thought would be great to share with everyone @ home.
                                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwLn11KJS9Y

Matariki
This week we have also introduced some Matariki stories.  The Parent Group are in the initial stages of organising our Matariki night @ Kindy (a FB invite has been sent out to all our families).  Along with our stories we also have lantern making organised, along with lighting our Fire Pit & shared kai. More details will follow.  An RSVP list is on the wooden table along with some great information about this special celestial celebration.  We've also been researching on Google Earth stars & constellations and we have challenged all the children to check out both the morning & night skies for those seven distinctive stars that make up Matariki!

The Seven Stars of Matariki

Can you find this constellation in the morning sky?

Download this free App for more Celestial intrigue.

As we ponder the phenomenon of our celestial night skies, here's a question Georgia Wylie posed to us all this week ... 

Geez ... that's a biggy!

And as a continuum we were all so surprised to see in our Seven Stars of Matariki story, this week  ... you guessed it ... a Toroa - Albatross!

 

These are our weeks 'Discovery Time' kids (Mon, Tue, Wed group) representations of Toroa.  The BIG wing span of the Alabatross seems to have really intrigued the children.

  The children are indeed developing a wonderful sense of 'Ecological Identity' through both our Spider & Albatross investigations. These include thoughtfully considering their pastoral care & the most optium conditions within their habitats.

We found this thought provoking quote ... 'Don't just fly ... SOAR'.   Walt Disney

Just a reminder ... the 'Name the Alabatross Chick' competition closes on Fri 2 Jun.  We'd love to claim the accolade of having shared the winning name.  Click on our FB link to share your ideas.

We've purchased a set of reference books on our coastal treasures (taonga).

We also had our very own competition on Monday @ Morning Meeting - guess what Elle's baby will be?   Christina's cake was the determinant ... what colour icing would be in the middle of the cake!

Our votes were collated ... 19 girl votes & 7 boy votes!!!

Well let's cut the cake & see ... pink icing!!!   It's a girl!!!

Nature Discovery
Here are some pics from Ivy Russell Reserve this week ... the BIG LONELY WOLF continues to intrigue everyone.  This week Penina & Kyle were our leaders taking us along hidden paths & finding new ways to navigate the heart of the forest.  Our provoking question 'What sound does a spider make?' also provided opportunities for the children to search for webs ... now where would they be? And we've also sourced some very naturalistic resources for our Polyfest Art work!!!

Harvest Time

Thanks for another fabulous week!!  Feel free to leave a comment.  We'd love to share your comments with our Kindergartens South Senior Teaching Team!

Your Winton Kindy Teaching Team,
Judy, Christina and Elle.