Yoga kids

Its yoga time....

"Sky above, Earth below, Peace within" (Alo Yoga)

The children at Bream Bay Kindergarten have been enjoying yoga over the past couple of weeks.  Yoga is something that I also enjoy, so it is a pleasure to share what I know with the children, and they seem to be natural willing learners.

Yoga is non-competitive - Yoga teaches children that their bodies are different; different bodies do different things and all of them are okay. There is no one better or worse at yoga than anyone else; we are all just exploring our bodies and learning from them in our own way.

Yoga teaches self-acceptance - to accept and cherish themselves as they are. Learned young, this incredibly valuable lesson arms children with the tools to fight off the increasing feelings of self-doubt that come during the teen years and beyond.

 Namaste: The light in me sees the light in you - Yoga teaches acceptance and tolerance of others.  In practicing yoga, kids learn early in life that all living beings are to be cherished and respected as they are, thus helping to create more peaceful local communities and a more peaceful world in our future.

Yoga encourages healthy habits - Any exercise program begun in childhood helps children to remain physically active and healthy as a lifestyle.

Focus.Focus.Focus - Yoga teaches kids to be present, and to concentrate and focus on their breathing.

Yoga teaches calming techniques - when children have learnt how to breath, they can apply breathing techniques to any situation.

Children learn self-awareness through yoga - can help children to become more confident

Yoga supports positive mental health in children - as they learn to focus and calm their minds

Yoga teaches that "Relaxation is not only allowed; it is encouraged".

" Our children are enjoying yoga so much that they are taking to practising in their own small groups"

Belle is learning how to read the pictures, so she can practice the poses.

Yoga is teaching our children concentration and body awareness

Sometimes we use the walls and the soft mats for balancing

"The body benefits from movements and the mind benefits from stillness" (Sakyong Mipham)

Information about the benefits of yoga were sourced from DOYOUYOGA.COM

A Balancing Act

With the sun shining early in the week, I thought it would be a great opportunity for the blocks to make an appearance outside. By far, the most popular thing to build was towers. 

Stacking blocks into towers develops and strengthens fine motor skills as children practice using the small muscles of their arms and hands. Children are developing their hand/eye coordination. 

Children are learning about balance, being able to put something in a steady position so that it does not fall. Being able to balance blocks requires increased accuracy as well as a fair amount of dexterity.

"Balancing objects should be the focus of open-ended learning experiences for young children." (Terri Jo Swim, 2016)

And it wasn't as easy as it looked. There was lots of trial and error happening as children persevered with the task of balancing blocks into a tower.

I asked the children "I wonder why the towers don't balance sometimes?"

Jessica said "Maybe cause it was too high... that's what happened with the big blocks...but I tried it again and I tried it again"

Alanni said "Cause I make it too high"

Sophia said "Cause I tried to make it bigger"

Ever the optimist, Jericho said "It almost stayed up...it might stay up next time."

There were some very proud children when they surveyed work and were sure that their towers were balanced and going to stay up without holding them up!

Matariki Hangi 2017

Matariki celebrations, a time of year that we look forward to.  

This year we ended our month long celebrations with a Hangi...new school...embracing new ways by using a kai cooker!

It's a group effort to work through the jobs and everyone wants to help!



Getting ready to peel and grate carrots. 
Kelesha is up for the task.

It's a big job especially when kai finds it's way into the mouths of babes!  Hmm tasty carrots ah Maia!

Olivier and Henare work hard to get the job done.  

So do Alanni and Belle.  

Ka pai to mahi, what a great job team!

Pumpkins are next on the to do list.

We couldn't have done it without the expert help of one of our Dads, Nigel.  He sure draws a crowd!

Thanks for your help Nigel!

Potatoes and kumera are next on the agenda and more helpers turn up and get stuck in!

The task of preparing kai together is a social event for our whanau.  It's a great time to touch base and catch up.

Quality control...our friends Raelene, Tracey, Julie and Gail check our kai for consistent sizes to ensure even cooking!

Being silly...Tania and Mathilda get ready to cut onions.  Safety first!

 Should of used the googles ah Julie and Simone?!

This year we were so pleased to have Jarrod (Aotea's Dad) and Hemi (Ella Breeze's Dad) as our hangi pit crew for the entire day.   

An event such as this could simply not happen without help such as was given on the day.  We were so grateful for their experience, guiding hand and generous gift of time and energy on the day.  

The task of catering for 200 guests is no small undertaking and we appreciate all the help that we received from you both.  To Jarrod and Hemi we say thank you, thank you, thank you!

Special thanks to Carl and Sammy for helping too.

Hangi Night

During Matariki we celebrate our unique place in the world.

We learn about those who 

came before us.

Our history.  Our family.  Our bones.

2017 marks our 30th anniversary.

30 years ago our community had a vision to create a vibrant learning environment for our youngest children within our own local area.  Through the years we've developed a proud tradition and seen many generations come through 

our learning space.

For Matariki we celebrated our 30 years with a gorgeous 'Mud Pit' cake. 



Sonia, Jaclyn, Rose...3 generations, did the splendid job of cutting our cake for us.  Sonia was one of our first ever Mum's. Her daughter Jaclyn, one of our first ever kindergarten children, and now 30 years later Rose, Jaclyn's daughter and Sonia's granddaughter, attends kindergarten.

Steve gave a heartfelt speech and his son Tawhiri did a wonderful job of saying Karakia.

Then it was time to bring out the kai.  This year the teaching team were honoured to serve whanau their kai.

Cake for dessert...doesn't get any better than that!

Thanks Steve, Hemi and Carl for the stella job of cleaning the kai cooker!  Epic!

To our many, many helpers on the day and leading up to our hangi, please take these few words as a personal and heartfelt thank you.  It is your generosity, warmth and care that sustains us and ensures tamariki within 
our community thrive!

Arohanui, Tania

Ma te wheturanga o Matariki

E tiki mai, e manaaki mai i a koe,

I a koutou ranei,

no te tau e take mai ana.

 

May the gentle light of Matariki

Guide and inspire you all this year.

No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa