Learning, connecting, and growing

On Wednesday we held our first Whānau Day of the school year. Students spent the morning working alongside others from different year levels, building friendships and contributing to the shared revitalisation of our school gardens.

One of our key focuses was sustainability. The kids helped install new compost bins, which was building on the learning that we did in Term 1 with our Inquiry focus. Alongside this, we explored the stories of Rongomātāne, the atua of cultivated food and peace (among other things too). Each stone represents hopes for good fortune, growth, and wellbeing.

"This taumata atua (resting place of the gods) was found on Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua. Taumata atua were tapu stones placed in kūmara fields to increase the productivity of crops. They represented Rongo, the god of cultivated foods." (https://teara.govt.nz/en/object/30822/taumata-atua) We are looking forward to the next stage of our garden project: weeding, continuing to work on the compost, Spring planting, and placing our special Taumata Atua in the garden beds.