A big Thank-You to all the wonderful people who returned their permission slips! We just need to go through them and compile a list of all the children whose images we have permission to use and then we can really get going! The only tricky part will be choosing which pictures to upload!

The Nga Whatu Iti Tamariki made a castle using natural resources. Here are Haedyn-Reeve and Isla checking it out and adding a few finishing touches.


The garden is coming along nicely, the Tamariki have added this colourful bridge, aren't they clever??


The Starlights teachers have created an area specifically for our three youngest Tamariki; Kaedyn, Marley and Kyan.These are children who need a safe area away from the hustle and bustle of the older, walking (running) children. Their special area allows them to have tummy time, floor time and exploring time with their peers. Here are Marley and Kyan having a play.

It looks great!

Beautiful weather=sandpit sandpit and more sandpit, and a bit of water play too of course. The Tamariki were still playing "baking" "kitchens" and "cafes" today, a lot of mud pies were created! Look how busy they all are...

Here is Rarotapuhikura deep in concentration. The Starlights teachers put out a variety of different puzzles today and the Tamariki were very busy at the puzzle table...

Welcome to Te Kereamas' cafe. He's making Whaea Lucy a coffee here, and Haedyn-Reeve is making me "a pancake" while Takarea advises them both on which ingredients to use. Aren't I lucky!

As you can see Whanau, another busy and fun day at Matariki! Please feel free to leave a comment or a suggestion. We hope you are enjoying the weblog!

This is the childrens' Whare, which they built with the help of Matua Vila. This year it has undergone a bit of a revamp- a new paint job, the addition of curtains and artwork. Now, as well as playing in it, the tamariki use it for real Powhiri, welcoming all our visitors to the centre. This week they held Powhiri for Whaea Aniwa, a student from Te Whare Wanaga o Aotearoa who will be with us for the next few weeks, and Whaea Coral, Teacher Registration Coordinator.

It's been a great week at the centre, with the Nga Whatu Iti Tamariki learning all about Koanga/Spring and making a garden. Next week we move to a new focus; 'Medieval Times'. Think Kings and Queens, jesters, castles, Fairy tales and lots more. We found some inspiration here and here . The Tamariki love learning about how people lived in different times and places. We think this focus will produce some wonderful artwork and imaginative play. We will keep you posted!