Seasonal new year celebrated

KEITH ST STARS: Joshua Andrews (left), Annalee Tafilipepe, Prei Henry-Miller, Leon Hogg-Haddon, Lilly Vu, Raiha McLean Duffy, Shannel Thomson and Georgia Loibl.

A new korowai (cloak) adorns the foyer wall at Keith St School after a week of Puanga/Matariki celebrations.

Each paper feather is individually designed with emblems to represent the person who added their contribution.

"Our korowai is composed of feathers designed by every student, staff member and board trustee," said principal Linda Ireton.

"Each person used symbols on their feathers that showed what was important to them and their whanau," she said.

Alongside the korowai are collages made by students that show them reaching for the stars in the southern sky.

Mrs Ireton said there was shared kai of riwai (potato), or kumara baked with grilled cheese which served to illustrate the vegetables traditionally harvested and stored at this time of year.

"The students used technology to research the meaning of Matariki in their classrooms."
Students said the had learned about the cluster of stars called the Pleiades or Seven
Sisters and said they have been looking out for them in the night sky.

"They get brighter in the middle of winter," said 10-year-old Prei Henry-Miller.
"We just had the longest night of the year last week."

Mrs Ireton said the week was supported by Fruit in Schools which supplied the root vegetables and whanau at Putiki Marae who cooked the kai and delivered it to the school.