After two years working to establish their philosophy, Gonville Kindergarten staff and community were excited last week to unveil their harakeke tukutuku in a celebration with the community, Whanganui iwi and the Ministry of Education.
Gonville is one of five kindergartens in Wanganui that have worked in partnership with theiwi's education authority, Te Puna Matauranga, and the ministry around Te Kopae Ririki; a representation of the kindergartens' identity, language, culture and community engagement.
Kahurangi Kawau of Te Puna Matauranga consulted with the kindergarten staff who wanted to put their philosophy and aspirations into something visual.
She shared with them her knowledge around harakeke and its importance in Te Ao Maori (Maori world).
This was also a time to reflect on and learn more around the concepts of manaaki (care/hospitality), whanaungatanga (kinship) and rangatiratanga (sovereignty), head teacher Katie Fry said.
Ms Fry said the Gonville team looked at how these concepts could be incorporated into the kindergarten philosophy and on Mrs Kawau's suggestion, the community wove the tukutuku panels.
The kowhaiwhai border is a design based on the hammerhead shark and represents strength and power.
Through the day the hammerhead sharks group together as a whanau, and at night are more solitary.
Underpinning the whole design is that "the whanau is of one breath and that is of love".
Mrs Kawau said the celebration on Friday was a special day for the kindergarten families and community to show their goals and aspirations to the wider community that included the iwi and ministry representatives.
"This is very much the heartbeat of the centre," Mrs Kawau said.
