Julie Hollis and some of the children at the Ole Schoolhouse in Rotorua. Photo / Ben Fraser
Julie Hollis and some of the children at the Ole Schoolhouse in Rotorua. Photo / Ben Fraser
After Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori last year the owner of one Rotorua childcare centre saw life return to normal and realised te reo didn't need to stop because the week was over.
At the Ole Schoolhouse, He kura tawhito, te reo has become a part of daily lifeand owner Eric Hollis said this year they were working hard to incorporate it.
"Every child who's not Māori still has the right to hear and to learn te reo.
"We have managed to include a lot of books in te reo and we use a lot of cultural symbols throughout the centre."
On the walls, there is a whare, where children hang photographs of their whānau, tukutuku panels coloured by the children, and a kaitiaki hangs above the front door.
"We have words and phrases written up all over the place to remind us to use it," Hollis said.
They have phrases to remind children to wash their hands in the bathroom, "horoi o ringaringa" and in the kitchen with the words for different types of kai.
Hollis said the children had no issues picking up words in te reo and would often use them off their own bat.
