Festival flower blooms

Matahui School creates a sustainable sunflower.

Read the full article on the front page of Katikati Advertiser, Thursday September 16 2021 below.

Bursting into spring is giant sunflower – not quite the plant species – but a creative one made of upcycled plastics and reuseable materials, that will be displaying during Katikati’s Festival of Arts in October.

Matathui School’s giant yellow sunflower is one of 111 large wooden sunflowers that have been distributed to preschools and schools in the area, to be decorated for the Festival of Art, hosted every two years by Katikati Open-Air Art.

Festival organiser Jacqui Knight says is was a real gift to see the sunflower from Matahui School, iwth all the Covid uncertainty about what events can and cannot be run at the upcoming festival.

“I think it is absolutely amazing, I don’t know here people get their ideas from, this one is fantastic!”

“I can not wait to see the others too.”

Designed to reflect the bright community spirit that surrounds Katikati, the Matahui School community has been working as a team – staff, students, parents and community members – on the giant sunflower. The students played an active role planning the project aimed at utilising reusable materials and upcycling plastics.

Principal Mary Woods says the focus on upcycling was thought to be the best use of plastic, as no further resources are required to process or recycle the plastic, it goes directly into another use – the ultimate in reducing consumption.

“It’s incredible the things that can be created out of a plastic bottle, can or glass container if you put your mind to it.”

The students reached out to the community for donations towards the sunflower which was painted before lockdown. They took their investigation of sunflowers a step further by examining them in great detail, up close, to find and develop the aesthetic and design.

During the lockdown “MrsB”, Kathryn Burtenshaw, teachers of the year 7 and 8 class worked on the project while communicating remotely with the students about here parts were glued on. Each piece was strategically placed to add character to the sunflower.

Students and families from Kauri Point village donated an array of plastic items, some from children’s toy boxes, and adults delved into their plastic recycling. Mrs B often found packages of plastic bits in her letterbox during alert level 4, a contactless delivery from community members.

“Every time the students see the flower they try to hunt down and identify where their donated piece is glued.”

“it’s almost like a Where’s Wally activity – one can spend hours looking at all the parts of the flower, so many different items have been collected and used.”

Mary says it has been a huge community project bring people together. “It represents more that just an art project. It shines a brightness on our community as we move forward into spring and summer.

“A time of colour, vibrancy, abundance, fresh food and good health.”

The sunflower will join others, soon to be on display at the Katikati library showcasing the talented work of our local children.

Chris Steel, Katikati Advertiser.

Community rallies to keep School Open

5 August 2021, Katikati Advertiser, page 3

A dedicated group of parents and alumni have given Matahui School a lifeline by raising funds to allow the independent primary school to stay open, while a more permanent financial plan is put in place.

In term 2 Matahui School revealed it was struggling to maintain financial viability due to low enrollment numbers following the Covid-19 lockdown, and would have to close at the end of Term 3 unless financial assistance could be found urgently.

Members of a parent/alumni working group reached out to parents, grandparents and alumni and were successful in raising funds to cover the immediate shortfall.

The money raised will provide the students with stability till the end of term 4.

You can read the full article here

Kowhai Class in the Matahui School Production ‘The Point’

Congratulations Matahui School on a fantastic school production!

Kowhai class was in the forest scene for the production ‘The Point’.  We were autumn trees.  Here are  paintings of ourselves in costume,  photos and stories:

 

Matahui School is putting on a show called ‘The Point’.   I am an Autumn tree. I look sparkly with my leaves -orange and yellow. I say “We have a point!” I love to sing. The show is brilliant! By Charlotte
Our school did a play called ‘The Point”.  I am an Autumn tree.  I’ve got red and gold leaves on my headband.  They glisten.  It’s treetastic!  I’ve got leaves on my body.  They are gold.  I say “No, you didn’t think!’   I feel that the play was treetastic!  By Cameron
Matahui School is doing a show called ‘The Point’.  We are Autumn trees.  We have yellow and orange leaves, with sparkles.  I say “It’s a time of magic and excitement!”  I love the singing and the dancing.  By Emma
           I am an Autumn tree.  I liked how the parents were watching me.  I look sparkly with my Autumn leaves.  I say “Pointless!  Pointless!”  I felt happy because it was my first school show.  By Anna
     The show is fabulous.  I love the dance.  I say “Pointless! Pointless!”  I am an Autumn tree.  I have orange, brown, and red leaves all around me.  The show is cool.  By Phoenix.                                                                                         I am an Autumn tree.  I look like an Autumn tree, with orange leaves, yellow leaves, red leaves.  I say “Oh my boy!  You have a lot to learn.  Tell me, where are you three from?”  The show was cool.  By Callaway       I love how the people were clapping.  I am an Autumn tree.  I have yellow leaves on my head.  My favourite line is “Yep! It’s timing! Ha ha ha!”  I felt nervous and happy. By Aroha
Matahui School is putting on a show and we are Autumn trees.  I look sparkly like a tree.  I have a headband with sparkles on my headband.  We also have yellow leaves.  I like singing the song.  I say “No roots!  No roots?”  I feel happy and shy.  By Kaida
  I am an Autumn tree in the play.  I have Autumn leaves, yellow, red, orange.  I say “You and your dog will work like dogs.”  I was happy because my Mum was watching me.  By Saxon
  We are Autumn trees.  I have yellow leaves sparkling around me.  I have leaves sparkling in my hair.  I say “For the love of a horse, what are you trying to do?”  I felt scared and happy and brave.  By Payton
  I am a beautiful Autumn tree that sparkles.  I love being an Autumn tree that sparkles.  I say ‘You know, leaves like that do not just grow on trees.”  I like how we did the singing.  I wear yellow leaves around my body.  I looked great and fantastic.  I wear red leaves on my head band, sparkling up on my head.  I felt excited.    By Tyla.
  I am an Autumn tree.  I liked how the parents were watching us as Autumn trees.  I looked fabulous because I have golden leaves – they sparkle and shine.  That makes me feel proud of myself.  I say “For crying out loud, would you get out of there!”  The show was great!  By Darcy

Year Seven and Eight students celebrate a great term at Matahui

What a wonderful term Team Kauri, the Year Seven and Eight students have had at Matahui School.

The students have been learning to build and learn within a team and advance their ability as leaders. This has been achieved through an amazing array of outdoor activities including two camps, and skill building activities such as swimming, a deep-water confidence day and kayak skill development at Waimarino.

We have studied of the life of William Shakespeare and written a short biography. Following this we traveled with the Year Five and Six students to Auckland to see ‘A Comedy of Errors’ at the Pop-up Globe Theatre.

Other E.O.T.C. experiences have included our infamous boat day and a whole school beach education day.

In the classroom we have focused our mathematics on number and algebra. There are several budding mathematicians! We have buddy read a book called ‘A race to the pole’, a chance for our accomplished readers to share with and support their peers. This book was also part of our inquiry this term which has focused on the motivation to discover and explore. The high standard of presentations that concluded the inquiry are well worth visiting the classroom to see.

Kowhai class shared their learning at assembly

The value of the week was courage and we shared times in our lives when we have shown courage:

Darcy: I showed courage when I first started school.  I felt a bit shy.

Blair: I showed courage to make good choices with my brother.

Aby: I showed courage when the dentist pulled my tooth out.

Sam: At the beginning I felt really scared to go into the native bush.  It looked like a big black hole.  But the I did it.  I liked it and I felt really proud of myself.

Lily: Dad wanted me to go on the chairlift at Cadrona.  I felt really scared because it looked so high.  But I did it and I had a really great time.

Aroha: I always show courage to tell the truth.

Kaida: I showed courage on my first assembly when I had to talk.

Gabe: I showed courage when Niki and I went on a bush walk with my Dad.  It was really dark in there.

Olive: I went on a moving chairlift in Rotorua.  I was really scared to hop on while it was moving.  Someone helped me and I did it and it was fun at the top.

Saxon: I showed courage when I went to see the ducklings.

Niki: I showed courage to go into the alpaca’s cage at Gabe’s.

Cameron: I showed courage when it was my first time trying a new food – spanakopita –

and I did it and it was really yummy.  I also showed courage when I had my blood test.

 

Our inquiry this term is the question ‘How can we express ourselves through the arts?’

We made a series of self portraits showing our different emotions.  Can you guess how we are feeling?

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We sang and played  “Blue is the Sea’. The sea has many moods which we tried to express in this song.

 

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We had so much fun at Boat Day so we made paintings of the day.  We tried to paint like the impressionist Claude Monet.  He thought about light and dark and reflection.  His paintings often looked better when we stood back from them because he used little brush strokes.  We also wrote cinquain poems.  This is where you count the syllables in each line and the pattern is 2, 4, 6, 8, 2.

 

 

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Boat Day

Black shiny tube

Bouncing on the water

I feel excited in my tube

Awesome!  

By Blair

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Boat Day

Small blue kayak

Riding the little wave

Happy and strong and really proud

Best day!

By Sam

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 Fun tubes

Black round circle

Spinning in the water

Fantastic fun in my fun tube

Big splash!

By Saxon

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Big Boat

Yellow fast kayak

Paddling on the calm sea

Taking control of my yellow kayak

Waahooo!

By Aby

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My boat

Small optimist

Sailing, turning in the breeze

I am the captain of my boat

Ahoy!

By Olive

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Kayaks

Big fun kayak

Adventure on the sea

Nervous, excited, happy, proud

Magic!

By Lily

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Boat Day

Fast red kayak

Paddling from side to side

So much fun circling and turning

Fun day!

By Kaida

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Boat day

My boat is red

Floating, slicing through the sea

Having fun in my red kayak

Happy!

By Cameron

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Fishing

Silver scales

Swimming in the water

I caught a fish on my fishing line

The best!

By Darcy

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Boat Day

On the jetty

Fishing with my Daddy

First time fishing, my favourite

Love it!

By Aroha

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Yellow Yacht

Sails flapping

Swishing, turning, blasting

I feel so great in the salty breeze

Fantastic!

By Nikora

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Blue Boat

Fast kayak, bright blue

Floating, paddling, speeding

Happy, smiling in the kayak

Boat day

By Gabe

We had lots of fun experimenting with the rhythms in ‘Cockroach Sandwich in my lunch’.

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What a great term of learning we’ve had!

 

 

Kowhai class, Matahui School, at the Tauranga Art Gallery and Library

 

We had a wonderful day visiting the Tauranga library and art gallery.

First we visited the library where Penny read us some stories

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Here is Lily’s story:

On Thursday we went to the Tauranga library and Art Gallery.  At the library we read some stories called ‘Sad the Dog’ and ‘Boa’s Bad Birthday’.  In Boa’s book he was excited that it was his birthday but when he got presents that he couldn’t use, he was sad.  Then when he got Dung Beetle’s present he loved it and thought that it wasn’t a bad birthday.  In Sad’s story he was sad because his owners didn’t love him.  The artist used facial expressions and sad colours. When Sad felt happy the artist used bright colours.

Next we went to see Richard Orjis’ garden.  We observed some things.  He expressed his feelings for plants.  Then we went to the art gallery and studied Barry Dabb’s art.  He expressed his love of colour and he loved his paintings to be BIG!

 

And a snippet of Sam’s story: Richard Orjis expresses his love of nature, growing a wild flower garden.

And Cameron’s story:  The wild flower garden was pretty and Richard was expressing his art.

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Great observation going on in Richard Orjis’ wild flower garden!

This great observation continued at the Art Gallery with Fiona when we looked closely at wild flowers and sketched and painted them with water colours.

 

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And together we created our  own wonderful wild flower garden!

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We also enjoyed seeing Barry Dabb’s paintings.

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Here are snippets of our stories:

*On Thursday we went to the library and art gallery.  I love the big paintings. Barry loved the colours and so do I!  By Aroha

*Richard showed that art can be in the form of plants. It doesn’t have to be paintings.  He has his own individual style.  Barry makes his paintings look real.  The illustrator used the colours of the fish in the book to show feelings.  By Aby

*Richard Orjis expresses his love of plants and nature.  Barry Dabb made big paintings of Cook Island flowers.  His art expresses happiness!  By Blair

 

 

 

Room One Matahui School Production ‘Windust’ By John Reynolds and Shade Smith

Congratulations Matahui on a fantastic show!

Room One were the school children, along with fabulous actors from Room 6 – Shane (Blake), Charlotte (Zoe) and the wonderful Miss Scow (Rose).

Here are our paintings, recount writing and photos:

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Our Production Windust  By Aby

Our school did a show in the hub on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  We wanted to have fun and show the Mums and Dads and Grandparents.

Our job was to be the school children with our teacher Miss Scow.  One of the things I say is ‘You be quiet Billy!  What do you know?’

We did a dance called ‘Gonna Break out!’  It is cool because it’s a lot of movement.  Miss Scow does not know we are there.

I felt nervous and excited and I also loved it!

 

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Windust By Gabe

Our production is in the Hub and we are the school children. It is on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Miss Scow is the school teacher.  I like it being the school children.  I like sneaking in when Miss Scow is dancing but she doesn’t know we are there.

I felt fantastic about everything in the show.

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Windust by Blair

The whole school did the show in the Hub on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  I sing and dance and all the people did it.  And Room 3 was on the hay and Room 3 was singing with us.

I like singing ‘Gonna Break out’ and dancing.  Miss Scow doesn’t know we are there.  But then she realises we are there.  I like that Miss Scow doesn’t know.  That was fun!

I felt happy singing and dancing.

 

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Windust By Nikora

Our school did a play at Matahui School on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

I am Billy and I’m a school kid.

In the act I say “I don’t believe in bandits”.  But I was wrong.  There are bandits in the hills!

On my second act I lose my money in a magic show.

I like the show a lot!

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Windust By Kaida

All the kids at Matahui School are putting on a show.

We are the school children.  We are the cowgirls and the cowboys.  I like dancing and singing.

Miss Scow is our teacher and she throws stuff on the floor in the dance.

I like saying ‘Dare you to!

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WINDUST   By Sam

Matahui School put on a play in the Hub on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Our class are the school children.  Miss scow is our teacher.

I like dancing to ‘Gotta Break Out’ because it is fun.

I felt happy the parents were watching me.

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Matahui School Show By Saxon

We did a play called Windust in the Hub.

I am one of the school children and my teacher is Miss Scow.

The show is very, very, very fun!

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YEE HAA!

Room One visits the Katikati Murals

Our inquiry for this term is based on the question ‘What are our stories of the past and how can these be told?’  We are very fortunate to have the wonderful Katikati murals close by, for us to explore and find out the history of Katikati and stories of the past, told through a visual art form. Here are our photos, paintings and stories.

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My mural is Jimmy Culpan’s Packhorses.  By Nikora

Jimmy Culpan’s job was to take food and supplies and newspapers to the bush men so they could survive.  Today he would go by car.  He had two pack horses called Bess and Carr.  Jimmy was 17.  I think it was a hard job.  It was a long way and sometimes it was muddy.

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Sunday in the Bush Camp

By Sam

The bush camp men must be tired from working all the days except Sunday.  They have different saws.  They need to sharpen them to make them good at cutting down the trees.  Jimmy Culpan is there with his pack horses. He brings supplies and letters.

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The Waitekohe School By Aby

The Waitekohe School had 33 kids.  It was quite small.  Our school is also in katikati.  Now Waitekohe School is a house in katikati.  I even saw the house after the trip to the katikati murals.  It was just one class room.  They only used chalk to write on blackboards.  The children were 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 – all those ages. They all learned different stuff.   The Waitekohe School had no jungle gyms.  Our school is much better because we have a playground, with a big orange ball swing, monkey bars and a sooper dooper flying fox! P1110887P1110949

Rev. kattern’s ostriches   By Saxon

Rev. Kattern’s is chasing ostriches down the main road of Katikati.  They escaped from the farm.  The girls used the feathers on their hats.

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Sunday in the Bush Camp 

By Blair

Sunday is a day that the bush men get a bath.  They were probably stinky because they have dirt because they work all week cutting kauri trees.  They cut their hair and they eat.  The miss their family.

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This is Waitekohe School. By Kaida

They had one classroom for all the children. Big children and little children.

I like my classroom now and I like painting.  The children wrote on blackboards with chalk.P1110900 P1110948

My mural is Sunday in the Bush Camp.  By Gabe

In the camp men had a holiday on the Sunday.   They sharpened their saws.  They had a haircut.  They bath.  I think the bush men would like having a day off from cutting down trees.

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