Waikato Waldorf School

Day 5 – Tupuaarangi 🌟(Class 2)

Tuupuaarangi is the star that is linked with the trees, forests, fruits, berries and birds 🌳🍃🦎🦉It is the star associated with the realm of Taanemahuta (God of the Forest). He also looks over our native forest dwellers – ngaa manu (birds), ngaa mokomoko (lizards), ngaa ngaarara (bugs) and ngaa kararehe (animals) need our protection as do our mighty raakau.

Day 4 – Tupuaanuku 🌟(Class 5)

Tupuaanuku is the star associated with food grown in the earth, with an interest in all that can be harvested, gathered and used as sustenance🧅🥕🍠 This includes the native puuhaa (sowthistle), kawakawa (pepper tree), kōkihi (NZ spinach), and tii koouka (cabbage tree).

In watching the preparations for the growth and harvest of edible plants, she has come to understand that well-nourished and sustaining soil is essential to all that grows. Honour Papatuuaanuku with your plantings, plant only those which you need and tend them well 🌱

On the day we remember Waipunarangi we arrived at school to find that Jack Frost has visited us to remind us of the beauty of ice. Magic!

Day 3 – Waipunarangi 🌟 (Class 1)

We celebrate today for Waipunarangi 🌧☔🌦😶‍🌫️🌨

Waipunarangi welcomes the winter, life-giving, sky-waters in all their forms – ua nganga (hail), hukarere (snow), haupapa (sleet), puuroro (driving rain) and haauaua (drizzle) and everything in-between The healthy cycle of the earth is reliant on the arrival of the rains and at the mercy of the waters from the sky. She encourages us to reflect about our changing climate, and what we can do to help support it, with our daily actions.

(source credit: https://www.matariki.com/resources

Our staff were so lucky to spend an afternoon with Mary Willow yesterday. She is an amazing source of parenting knowledge and advice and just an all-round incredible human. If you are having some parenting challenges or wonderings, come along and see her tonight (6.30pm) or tomorrow (1.15pm) in the school hall. Koha at the door please.

Day 2 – Waitaa

Waitaa is the star that symbolises all sources of salt water, as well as those that dwell within it 🌏🌊 Our vast oceans, Te Moana-nui-o-Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean) and Te Tai-oo-Rehua (the Tasman sea). The variety of life in these waters are so diverse that he is discovering different species of marine plants, whaangote (mammals), manu (birds) and ika (fish).

Waitaa encourages us to respect our coasts and ocean, and treat their inhabitants as the taonga (treasures) they really are.

Day 1 – Waitii (Class 4)
Waitii is the star that watches over our freshwater environments.💧 Our awa (rivers), roto (lakes), kuukuuwai (wetlands) and waipuna (springs) - to name just a few. Waters flow - she sees how they support us, provide for us, connect us, and sustain us. Waitii has heard the important stories that our waters have. She encourages us to listen, and to learn from them as well.

✨When it shines bright, the waters will sustain land and man alike✨

(source credit: https://livingbythestars.co.nz/)

✨Starting tomorrow, WWS begins celebrating Te Iwa o Matariki. ✨
As Matariki rises in the morning sky during winter, it calls us to cluster together to celebrate our world, our people and our home by remembering our loved ones, celebrating who we are today and who we hope to be in the future.
There are many ways you can acknowledge the Māori New Year. Here are a few suggestions:
- take time to remember loved ones who are no longer with us
- give thanks for the year that has passed
- cook a meal and offer it to Matariki
- plan for the next year
- spend time with family and friends
- have a Matariki feast
- plan to grow a garden
- write down your wishes for the year

🤩🔆We have reached the end of Week 8 and there is a lot in the Flier to read about this week: Mary Willow's visit; Matariki Winter Festival; HS fundraiser; Article about "What is play?", and our Classroom Corner. There is also the recent Board Panui.
Please read and share with friends and whaanau. 📣📣📣
https://www.waikatowaldorf.school.nz/s/08-June-12-2026-Flier.pdf
https://www.waikatowaldorf.school.nz/s/Board-Panui-May-2026.pdf

Radishes, parsnips and carrots! Our Lower School are moving through a clay rotation with the talented Victoria this term. These wonderful creations were made by Class 5.