Making kawakawa balm

This is the card we made for the wonderful Arihia:

Dear Arihia,

Nga mihinui ki a koe mo to ako ki te Rongoa Maori.

We very much enjoyed you coming here because it was interesting how you taught us to make kawakawa balm. I’m sure that balm will come in useful when we have cuts, burns, bruises and stings.

Thank you for teaching us; we loved all the wonderful things you entwined into our brains. You taught us that kawakawa has a lot more medicinal properties than some other Rongoa Maori. We learned that we need to say a traditional karakia to the kawakawa plant before we harvest the leaves. Thank you for teaching us the legend about Papatuanuku, Ranginui and Rongomatane. This helped us to understand why and how te ao Maori was created.

It was cool how you taught us to use the ratios to add up the litres and grams we needed when we made the balm today. You taught us how important it is to use the correct amount of oil so it’s not too hard or runny, just in the middle: just right!

You taught us to say, Nga mihinui ki a koe, to the plant when we returned the used kawakawa leaves to its roots.

Thanks for teaching us to sing while we cooked the beeswax and oil together so that we could help the balm to be full of goodness.

It was tricky to pour the balm into the small jars but it felt really rewarding when we got it right!

Thank you so much; we think you’re amazing.

Nga mihinui,

Amy and M13

Rongoa Maori workshop - Kawakawa oil infusion with Rongoa expert Arihia

Today Arihia, an Enviroschools Rongoā expert, came and ran some Rongoā Māori workshops for us in the learning hub. After learning about the stories of Ranginui and Papatuanuku being separated in the beginning, and Tane Mahuta covering his mother with forest, we learned about saying a karakia before harvesting leaves for Rongoā Māori. 

Then we learned about the healing properties of kawakawa and other leaves...

Stay tuned for more blogposts explaining what we learned today!

Mahuri Term 4 Newsletter

Kia ora parents, caregivers and children,

Term 4’s looking like our best yet: Rongoā Māori workshops with Enviroschools Rongoā expert Arihia Latham, Athletics day, the school fair, kids-as-experts-workshops, visiting William Kentridge’s The Refusal of Time at the City Gallery (for the Y4s) and creating a shadow pageant, swimming (for the Y3s), a student-led Amazing Race, walks to identify local native plants for Rongoā Māori, Zoo sleepovers, democratic classrooms, making kawakawa balm, walk to Red Rocks, hackschooling, school picnic, percussion jams…!

U-Learn conference

Last week Shanon and Amy A travelled to Rotorua with six other teachers from school for the U-Learn conference. We heard some fantastic international academics and New Zealand practitioners who gave us lots of food for thought that has inspired us to keep developing our teaching and learning practice. In M13 we are looking at how our classroom can be more democratic, handing over as much power as possible to children. Check out the hackschooling TED talk, posted below...

Inquiry: Rongoā Māori

Through the context of Rongoā Māori, we will explore the physical and chemical changes that occur to substances when they are mixed, heated and cooled. We’ll get hands-on, identifying and classifying local native plants, learning about their medicinal uses, and creating our own balms and other kinds of Rongoā Māori medicine. Enviroschools Rongoā expert Arihia Latham will come and run workshops with us in the Learning hub to teach us about Rongoā practices. Our reading and writing programmes will integrate with our Inquiry learning.

Our maths focus areas this term are Number, Problem Solving, Basic Facts, Algebra, and Statistics – probability. In physical education we will focus on athletics.

Music: percussion

We are running a music rotation this term – each class will spend 2 sessions with each teacher in the team, across the term. From rākau to sāsā to Stomp beats, we’ll be drumming and exploring different elements of rhythm, beat, and percussion.

Parent help

If you can support our class programme with either regular or one-off parent help, we’d love to hear from you. Spelling testing and reading with children are particularly useful ways to help. We always welcome parents visiting to read a favourite book or share some knowledge or expertise; even if you’ve already read to the class, we’d love you to come back again!

Home learning

A reminder to return home learning folders to school on Mondays. Each Monday children will bring home a new list of ten spelling words, an updated Reading log (if needed) and basic facts to be learned off by heart during the week.

Dates this term

Tuesday 21 October                         Rongoā Māori workshops in the Learning Hub

Wednesday 22 October                   Whole School Athletics Day at Wakefield Park

Thursday 23 October                       postponement day for Athletics Day
Friday 24 October                            Whole School powhiri, 9.15am

Monday 27 October                          Labour Day

Saturday 1 November                      School Fair

Tuesday 4 November                       M13’s trip to the City Gallery

Wednesday 5 November                 M12’s trip to the City Gallery

Thursday 6 November                     M14’s trip to the City Gallery

Tuesday 11 November                     Southern Zones Athletics

Tuesday 2 December                       Mahuri inquiry exhibition, 9am – 10.30am

Thursday 4 December                     Day walk to Red Rocks

Monday 8 December                       Amazing Race

Wednesday 10 December               M12 & M13’s zoo sleepover

Thursday 11 December                   M11 & M14’s zoo sleepover

Monday 15 December                      Whole School picnic

Tuesday 16 December                     Portfolios come home

Thursday 18 December                   Poroporoaki, last day of school

Thank you for your ongoing support. As always, if there is anything you would like to discuss regarding your child’s learning, please get in touch to make a time to talk.

Ngā mihi,

Shanon, Adele, Ximena and Amy

Karakia and waiata | By Dot

Every morning, unless it's raining, our class M13 and M10, M12, M14 and M11 do a karakia (blessing) and waiata (song) outside before we start the day. 

Our waiata is called E Tu Kahikatea.

E tu kahikatea

Hei whakapae ururoa

Awhi mai awhi atu

Tatou tatou e

Stand like the kahikatea (tree)

To brave the storms

Embrace and receive

We are one together

(This version has a few extra verses but it helps with the tune):

  Our karakia says:

Whakarongo ki te tangi ā te manu i runga i te rangi - Tui, tui, tuituia!

Tuia i runga, tuia i raro

Tuia i roto, tuia i waho

Tuia i te here tangata

Ka rongo te ao, ka rongo te po

Tīhei mauri ora!

Listen to the call of the bird up in the sky - bind, bring together, bind, bring together.

Bind the things above, bind the things below,

Bind the things inside, bind the things outside.

Bind all the people together.

Listen to the sounds of the day, listen to the sounds of the night.

Sneeze, the breath of life!

Noho Marae at Pipitea Marae | Friday 4th - Saturday 5th of April

Kia ora parents and caregivers,

The whanau group has decided to rebook Pipitea Marae (Thorndon) to hold our annual Noho marae (sleep over) and we are inviting any interested families to come and enjoy the fun.

We will learn Marae Tikanga (protocol and etiquette) and share a fun-filled evening at an inner-city marae. The experience will be fantastic! Below is the scheduled itinerary.

Island Bay School Noho Marae: Friday 4th to Saturday 5th April (Term 1, 2014)

What’s happening: A marae sleepover
Who can come: All interested Island Bay School families
When is it?  4-4:30pm (Powhiri at 4.30), Friday 4th April to Saturday 5th April, 12:00ish

Where is it? Pipitea Marae, Thorndon
How much: $20 per child -$25 per adult (except infants), and $50 for a family to cover food and koha

Saturday Timetable (draft)

This is just a rough outline of our Friday night:
4:00 Meet at Marae. If you have not been welcomed on to Pipitea Marae before, there will be a powhiri for you. Please wait in the car park.
4:30 Powhiri
5:00 Afternoon tea
Settle-in time, unpack, sort kitchen, play.
6:30 Mihi Whakatau for any more people coming on, allowing for those joining us after work.
7:00 Shared dinner. Please bring a healthy contribution for a shared evening meal.
8:00 Maybe a visit from Luke Crawford to talk on Wellington & Marae korero/games

9:00 Supper supplied
Kids' bedtime. Adults bring guitars/ukulele and cards.

Saturday
7:00 Breakfast 

9:00 Kapa Haka / mihimihi

10:00 Morning tea

Ko te rourou maa teenaa, maa teenaa ka ora te manuhiri.

10:30 Discussion for all re IBS and Whanau Group business, IBS protocols.
11:30 Poroporoaki
12:00 Home time /clean up etc

Kai for Friday/Food

Each family is asked to bring a pre-prepared healthy food contribution for the evening meal, your preferred choice of breakfast cereal and any special foods you require. The basics will be supplied (tea, coffee, milo, milk, juice, sugar, bread, butter, spreads, biscuits and fruit).

Those with personal food requirements please BYO dinner and let Maria know.

What to bring:

·   Healthy food contribution for evening meal         

·    Your preferred choice of breakfast cereal

·    Sleeping bags or bedding

·    Pillow cases

·   Toiletries / medication

·    Torch  (if needed)

·     Earplugs

·     Change of clothes

·     Warm clothing

·     Guitar/ ukulele/ cards and slippers for inside

Please fill in the form or email the form back to mariawhiting@islandbay.school.nz . More information will come to you shortly.

No reira, thank you. Maria Whiting J

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Island Bay School Noho at Pipitea Marae: Friday 4th - Saturday 5th April 2014

We are interested in attending: Number ____

Names:__________________________________
Adults ____

Children_____/other_______________________

Class___________________________________________________ Class___________________________________________________Class___________________________________________________

Payment: Child $20, Adult $25 and/or Family $50 (please hand into office/ or Maria asap)

Food requirements______________________________

Health needs/allergies____________________________________

Email:_________________________

Laying down the hangi at Tapu Te Ranga Marae

Tomorrow we're laying down the hangi at Tapu Te Ranga Marae.  Some of us will prepare the fire while others prepare vegetables. It'll be cool to see how our local marae is different from the wharenui we saw at Te Papa last week.

Reminder for parents: we are meeting at the marae (not at school) at 8.55am tomorrow, then walking back to school after lunch, so you can pick up your kids as usual from school at 3pm.

Here we are sketching the wharenui at Te Papa last week:

Hangi - Friday 28th February

Island Bay School hangi:

Friday 28^th February

Ma pango ma whero ka oti. By black and red together it is done.

Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

Next Friday M12 and M13 are going to work together with Maria to put down the school hangi at Tapu te Ranga Marae.

This will involve preparing the food, packaging the food, cleaning the hall, digging the hole for the fire and watching the laying down of the hangi. Then we will spend some time sketching what we can see at the marae.

Instead of coming to school that morning, we will meet at Tapu te Ranga Marae, 44 Rhine St, Island Bay, at 8.55am on Friday 28^th February to start the day. After we have spent the morning at the marae, we will eat our lunch at the marae and walk back to school after lunch.

We will need around 6 parent helpers per class to help with food preparation, setting up the hangi and supervision of the children. If you are able to help, please indicate on the return slip below.

We’re looking forward to a great day. Remember to bring your sunhat, drink bottle, and a substantial lunch to fuel our hard work!

Nga mihi,

Maria, Adele, and Amy A

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Permission slip for the hangi at Tapu te Ranga Marae, Friday 28^th February

I give permission for _____________________________________ (child’s name) to attend the school trip to Tapu Te Ranga Marae to help put down the hangi. I understand that they will start the school day at the Marae, and walk back to school together after lunch.

Name:                                                                                     Signed:

(Please tick)

o   I can come along and help.                                      Phone: