Matariki is a time to celebrate the Maori New Year.

My star in the Matariki star cluster is Tupuarangi.

Tupuarangi is specifically linked to fruits, berries, and other foods that grow on trees and on bushes. Tupuarangi symbolises the importance of forests and their role in providing food and resources for both humans and wild animals. 

We were making kites with 1 brown paper bag that we cut into two halves so the handles remained attached together. Then on both of the sides we folded them into 8 strips. 

After that we designed Maori patterns on one and then on the other bag we painted it an original colour. We painted the maori design red, black, and white. 

We let our two painted bags dry in the sun. Then today we started to weave them into a Matariki Kite. I persevered even though I found it very tricky and confusing. Finally we plaited three colors of twines 

To make the tale. Then Mrs Yumul glue gunned a 

Feather and some fern branches on to the bottom 

The colors for the twines were white, black and red.

It was kinda difficult plaiting the twines.

In World War 1 {1914 to 1918} this story was set in Salonika, Greece. There was a tortoise and a soldier called Stewart and they became great friends after he saw the tortoise getting run over by a gun carriage. But he survived. He had many other lucky adventures with Stewart back in New Zealand. 

This is my drawing of torty the tortoise.

We have been looking at sea creatures that might live in our marine reserves. We had to make up a description of our chosen creature and write characteristics of it without using it’s name.

Can you guess mine?

My sea creature is Very Venomous and very poisonous  

My sea creature has a really soft body.

My sea creature can photosynthesize, steal stinging cells from prey.

My sea creature can live up to 4 and a half years old.