Hiwa-i-te-rangi

We have enjoyed learning about Matariki in Tautoru this week. Matariki marks the Māori new year and is a time for us to come together with our whānau, reflect on the past and look forward to what is ahead. Sharing the wisdom of our family members marks an appreciation of what they do and allows tamariki to reflect on what they do for others.

The youngest sister star of Matariki, Hiwa-i-te-rangi, is often called the wishing star. People send their goals, aspirations and wishes to Hiwa-i-te-rangi, in the hopes that they will come true in the new year. In Tautoru this week we’ve been drawing Hiwa-i-te-rangi and writing our own wishes on the back of the star. Doing this allows us to ask Hiwa-i-te-rangi what we want to see in the new year and tell her hopes we have for our futures.