Ngā mihi o te Tau Hou Pākehā ki a koutou katoa. Nau mai hoki mai ki ō tātou kohungahunga, puta noa i te motu. Happy New Year, and welcome back to all of us in our centres across the country.
The Māori Development Team have already had a successful start to 2021, with a focus on building ways to meet the overarching goal of Te Mahere 2040, our Playcentre Māori Strategy. The main vision for Te Mahere is to interweave Te Ao Māori throughout Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi – Playcentre Aotearoa.
Te Ahu o Te Reo
We successfully launched a national campaign promoting the Ministry of Education’s fully funded Te Reo Māori programme: Te Ahu o Te Reo. Information was provided for whānau and kaimahi on the Playcentre Website, Face book pages, and at an information evening zoom hui led by Keri Milich – Acting Kaiwhakahaere Hononga Māori.
There has been huge interest in this programme which demonstrates that our whānau and kaimahi within Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi are hungry and passionate about learning Te Reo Māori.
The Te Ao Māori Fieldworkers will be following up with applicants in their region to identify who was successful with their registration, and to facilitate ongoing support for those who are successful. For those who were not successful, the Māori Development Team will share other options to learn te reo. These will be available here and in the meantime check out the other resources available.
To find out more, or to register: https://www.playcentre.org.nz/current-members/te-ahu-o-te-reo-opportunity-for-2021/
Bicultural Officers
Have you identified your centre’s Bicultural Officer? Need more information? Check out: https://www.playcentre.org.nz/current-members/bi-cultural/
Bicultural Officers play a vital role in weaving Te Ao Māori into centre practices, through encouraging members to gain an awareness and understanding of Playcentre Aotearoa’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. You will act as a bridge between your centre and the Te Ao Māori Fieldworkers, and will be well supported as part of a community promoting Te Ao Māori and Te Reo Māori in Playcentre. He waka eke noa! We are all in this together!
Check out the Bicultural Officer Facebook Pages:
Playcentre Bicultural Officers Operations https://www.facebook.com/BCOoperations
Playcentre Bicultural Officers (whānau led page) www.Facebook.Com/groups/724675444657396
Te reo Māori clocks
Winners of the Whakataetae for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2020 were posted their Te Reo Māori clocks at the beginning of Term 1. We are looking forward to hearing about ways that whānau use the clocks to tell the time in Te Reo Māori. If you want to purchase a clock for your centre, we will be selling them in the Playcentre Shop soon. Here is a link from Hemi Kelly – A Māori phrase a day, demonstrating how to tell the time in Te Reo Māori. https://www.facebook.com/100000297860703/videos/4038723719480850/
Te Kākano waiata
Do you know about the waiata that was written by life members of the Hutt Association by Papa Hepetema Taitua and Whaea Mate Taitua, and gifted to Playcentre?
This waiata has become a favourite in the UNI office and region. It reflects and celebrates our special Playcentre kaupapa. Te Kākano is easy to learn, so we encourage you sing it with tamariki on session, to use at hui and to tautoko speeches. Karawhiua e te whānau! Have a go!
At the end of 2020, Birkenhead Playcentre recorded a number of waiata Māori, and released their very own CD as a way to fundraise money for whānau Te Reo classes. Te Kākano was one of the waiata recorded, and blessings have been given blessings the Taitua whānau to share it alongside their waiata on the Playcentre Website for all of Playcentre to use. To view the CD and listen to it click here Waiata | Playcentre and look under ‘Waiata that have been gifted to Playcentre’.