Weston School’s Tupu Team has its own private Matariki, as the children learn all about the star constellation, and its meaning, throughout the term.

A “Matariki constellation installation” in Room 3, using a polyurethane-lined gazebo and fairylights is being used to educate children from new entrants to year 3, on the stars of Matariki.

Tupu Team teacher Claudia Cook-Green said every Monday of term two, the whole junior school would gather in one room.

“We all fit in here, and we all learn about Matariki. All our learning is slowly going up on the walls.”

This is the first year the classroom had the installation, as last year was the first year Matariki was celebrated as a national holiday.

“So we’re just kind of building on that learning, because it was such a success last year, which is really nice.”

There are nine Matariki stars, and ten weeks in the term, so it worked out perfectly, Claudia said.

“So, on the last day of term, we’re all going to wake up early . . . and we’re going to come together for breakfast."

“It’s a bit earlier than the national holiday, so whether or not Matariki will be in the sky at that time, I can’t promise. But that’s why this (installation) is so beautiful, because we get to look at Matariki every day,” she said.

Matariki is celebrated when the cluster of stars, (also known as the Pleiades or seven sisters) re-appears in the sky in mid-winter. For many Māori, this signifies the beginning of a new year, and provides the chance to acknowledge the year past, and prepare for the year ahead. This year the national holiday falls on July 14, which is in between school terms.

Among the children’s favourite activities which have aided their Matariki learning, are making art, writing, and reading books about the different stars, their names and what they stand for.

The polyurethane lining and fairy lights have been donated by Ōamaru Mitre10 Mega, and the gazebo was Claudia’s own, from home.

“On the first day of term, when the children came back from holidays, it was all darkened and we had traditional Māori instruments playing in the background, and each class came in in the darkness, and it sort of made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It was quite lovely.  

“All they were told was to go in and lie down, and they just had to wait, and then the teachers flicked the switch, and we had Matariki.”