About 80 people turned out to celebrate Pickering Street Kindergarten’s 50th birthday on Saturday.
The celebration started with a welcome and karakia by Colin Taare , followed by the planting of a tree, cutting of a cake, speeches, and a trip down memory lane with old photographs from the kindergarten’searly days. A time capsule was also buried to mark the occasion.
Head teacher Donny Manuel said it was hoped the time capsule, which contains a book with written messages from parents and caregivers to their moko, would be lifted in 50 years time when the grown-up children could read the messages.
“It was a fantastic day with past and present enrolments, parents, teachers and committee members.”
The honour of cutting the cake on Saturday fell to Carol Outen, the chairperson of the kindergarten’s establishment committee in 1971. With her are head teacher Donny Manuel (left), Te Kura Mahina Tahitahi,who will be starting at the kindy before too much longer, and committee member Kathleen-Jane Manuel (Donny’s daughter and grand-daughter).
