Tania's Professional Learning Blog

Team Koru's Matariki Film: A Stellar Adventure Discover Matariki, the Maori New Year, through the eyes of our amazing students.  They had a blast learning about the stars and making this special film for you. Watch as our tamariki take you on a journey filled with wonder, excitement and creativity. They put their hearts into their learning, and it shows.  You'll learn about Matariki and have a great time watching their film. Join us under the Matariki sky and be part of this educational and entertaining experience. Team Koru's Matariki Film is all about celebrating culture, learning, and togetherness!  

I was fortunate enough to serve as an across-school leader during the latter part of this year. I reached out to our Manaiakalani cluster schools and specifically connected with the new entrant teachers to gain insights into the challenges they face when students start school. The form I created, which asked questions about the challenges and how teachers overcome them, has revealed to me that our schools share similar challenges. I strongly feel that we can possess skills and ideas on how to overcome them. I strongly believe that with our combined skills and collaboration, we can formulate a plan to overcome them. Being stronger together makes us stronger. The key aspects and strategies for enhancing the transition from ECE to primary school I have focussed on in 2023: Engaging Kindergartens: I actively involve kindergartens in our transition plan. We collaborated with local ECEs and kindergartens to create a joint strategy. The goal is to ensure that students starting school have...

Let's look at what our teachers are saying -  this will determine the direction we will pursue to make transitions easier on our children.  Next step - collaboration meeting - WHAT CAN WE DO? What are some common challenges you've seen in students who are just starting school? Inconsistent transition to school from ECE centers is a challenge. Lack of a clear guide for children and their families regarding what to expect when starting school. Pre-visits to the classroom, meeting teachers, and understanding the school environment are not consistently provided. Building familiarity and relationships with teachers and peers is crucial for a positive school start. Establishing connections with families during visits helps set children up for success. Insights from these visits can be used to support children and remove potential barriers. Going out to play in a large school environment can be daunting, even when with friends. Children may lack basic skills like using a pencil, dres...

Creating Collaborative and Decodable Sentences with Word Cards and Picture Prompts Language development is a vital skill that forms the foundation of effective communication. Encouraging collaborative learning in language development can make the process engaging and enjoyable for learners of all ages. One effective way to foster collaboration and enhance language skills is through the use of word cards and picture prompts. In this blog post, we'll explore how to create collaborative, decodable sentences using these tools and how to take the learning process to the next level by publishing the sentences on paper. Why do collaborative learning matters? Collaborative learning is more than just working together; it's about engaging learners in a shared experience that enhances their understanding and skills. When it comes to language development, collaboration can: Enhance Comprehension: Collaborative activities encourage learners to actively engage with language, which leads to b...

 Waitī & Waitā Waitī is a whetū in the Matariki cluster. It is the star connected to freshwater: springs, streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and the plants and animals that live in freshwater. Waitā is a whetū in the Matariki cluster. It is the star connected with the oceans and marine conditions and represents the many types of food gathered from the sea.

The three stars we are learning about is: Matariki, Pōhutukawa, and Hiwa-i-te-rangi. We learned that the Matariki star cluster is visible in other countries too. They just have a different name. Matariki is known by many other names around the world, such as: Pleiades (Greek and English speaking countries)  Seven Sisters (Greek mythology)  Messier 45 (Croatia)  M45 Krittika (India)  Subaru (Japan) Mao; The Hairy Head of the White Tiger (China) Mul Mul (Babylonian) Freyja’s Hends (Norse mythology the Vikings We learned about the mum star and decide to link it to a whakataukī :  Tukua kia tu takitahi nga whetu o te Rangi Let each star in the sky shine it’s own light Look at our beautiful art!! We have learnt that the star in the cluster of Matariki named Pohutukawa represents those who have passed away. At Matariki we remember them. This is what we have made to remember our loved ones. Weaving stars. Hiwa-i-te-Rangi is the youngest star in the Matariki cluster. Hi...

Learning all about letter Rr Learning the alphabet can be a lot of fun, especially when you're exploring a cool letter like 'R.' We recently had a great time learning about 'R' at GTS, and here's how we did it!   To begin our 'R' learning journey, we incorporated a hands-on approach using play dough. Play dough is not only a fantastic sensory experience but also a fantastic tool for reinforcing the shape and formation of letters. We rolled, moulded, and manipulated the play dough to create the letter 'R.'   This helped us understand what 'R' looks like and how to write it.   But we didn't stop there! We wanted to be super creative, so we decided to make robots using recycled stuff like old cardboard boxes, bottle caps, and a variety of other recycled materials. It was like a big arts and crafts project. Each robot we made had something special about it. After we finished making our unique robots, we wanted to show them off to everyone...

 Stars have always fascinated humans with their twinkling beauty in the night sky. For generations, people from various cultures have looked up to the stars for guidance, inspiration, and storytelling. In New Zealand, the Māori culture celebrates a special cluster of stars known as Matariki, which signals the start of a new year and the winter season.  During Term 3 will explore the Matariki star cluster, its cultural significance, and how we can use it as a foundation for teaching and learning. We'll also share a fun activity of creating star patterns and extending them further, allowing young minds to engage with math and cultural awareness. For the Māori people, Matariki holds immense cultural significance. It's a time for reflection, celebration, and connecting with the land and community. During this time, families come together, share stories, sing songs, and learn about their ancestors and traditions. Matariki offers a rich platform enabling young learners to explore mu...

Here is the link to the Google Form I created for my parents:  Parent Survey Editable Form The questionnaire aimed to gather information about a child's transition to primary school. Respondents provided insights into their child's preferences, concerns, expectations, and the support they plan to provide.  Here are the key findings: Activities at home: The children enjoy a range of activities such as playing games, helping out, writing, drawing, exploring outside, arts and crafts, playing with siblings, imaginative role play games, puzzles, and reading. Upsetting factors: The children may be upset by not getting their way, conflicts with other children, feeling put down, not being listened to or understood, someone ruining their work, and not keeping promises. Response to transitioning: Most of the children responded positively, being excited and looking forward to starting school. One child engaged in role-playing school scenarios at home to prepare for the transition. Desire...

Inverclyde Educational Psychology Services, Greenock, United Kingdom  https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.499917/full This study focuses on preschool to primary school transitions and aims to explore the elements necessary to support these transitions and foster a nurturing environment for children. The research takes a flexible qualitative approach, promoting collaborative activities to create shared meaning. Participants, including early years' staff, primary teachers, parents, and pupils, were recruited from a Scottish local authority to engage in qualitative and quantitative activities. Through a Person Centered Planning (PCP) approach and four identified qualitative activities, a transition timeline was co-constructed. This timeline outlines essential preparatory activities for all pupils, including those with additional support needs (ASNs), and highlights examples of excellence in practice. The intention is to promote consistency of practice across servic...

A warming and inviting way to bring family and friends together to celebrate this very special date. For generations, the Māori have relied on Matariki to plan their harvests. During this season, a cherished tradition is to come together and enjoy lovingly prepared kai (food) with our whānau (family), friends, and community. Hua Whenua, also known as Friendship Soup, is a fantastic choice because everyone pitches in with ingredients from their pantry, fridge, or vegetable garden to create a large pot of hot, nourishing soup. Children can join in by helping gather and prepare the ingredients, which offers many opportunities to learn about Māori culture and taking care of Papatūānuku (the Earth mother). In our version of Hua Whenua we went to our school garden to see what was ready to harvest: we found celery, kumura and some fresh herbs. We also invited everyone to bring a vegetable from home. While making the soup, we made sure to save all our vegetable peelings to feed them to our wor...

Introduction Matariki, the Māori New Year, is a significant cultural celebration in New Zealand. It is a time to reflect, celebrate, and learn about the stars, nature, and Māori traditions. Incorporating Matariki into the curriculum for young learners, specifically Year 0-2 students, can be an enriching experience. In this blog post, we will explore how Matariki learning slides can be used to engaging "Learn, Create, Share" activities. Why Matariki for Year 0-2 Students? Matariki offers a unique opportunity to connect children with the natural world and Māori culture. Year 0-2 students are at a crucial developmental stage where they are curious, receptive to new concepts, and eager to engage in hands-on learning experiences. By integrating Matariki into their curriculum, we can foster a love for learning, build cultural understanding, and develop essential skills. Matariki Learning Slides Matariki learning slides are digital or printable resources that can be tailored to the ...

At GTS, we're all about making learning exciting and hands-on. This term our focus during LEARN CREATE SHARE was Science, our students got to choose what they wanted to learn about in: (material world)stuff in our world, (physical world)things that move, or living things. What they did with their choices was nothing short of amazing! We decided to show off our students' hard work with a Science Showcase, and guess what? Loads of whanau came.   It was a big surprise for us, but it shows just how much they care about their child's learning. Living world - looking at invertebrates like jellyfish - they have no bones!! Volcano on a lemon?? Material world - it's all about mixing stuff together and see what happens - the WHY? Our students were like little scientists, showing off what they'd learned with big smiles on their faces. Everyone was so proud. Physical world - making things move and how can we make it faster or slower. Newton's cradle - this was a very big ch...