On Monday 21st October, our local kaumatua Rangi Mclean blessed the new carving, created by Wikuki Kingi and his team at Pou Kapua Creations Trust. When you are next visiting the Homai Campus, please come and visit and explore this tactile mural. Huge thanks to The Trusts Community Foundation for a grant of $5000 towards this project!
The Trusts Community Foundation Logo
Dec 12th: We had a party to celebrate the end of the school year and we welcomed the Christmas Elf, who distributed the children’s presents (Santa was just too busy today). We wish everyone a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year holiday season. See you all back the week of Feb 4th.
It was a busy morning. Ajay and Becky led a sing-a-long of all of our favourite Homai ECC songs/waiata. We shared kai and also planted some special trees in soil from the old Homai ECC building. These trees will form part of a nature trail in the new school playground.
Linda cuts off one of David’s dreadlocks to raise money for a sound system for HECC.
On the occasion of his 40th birthday, David, a member of HECC Education Trust decided to have a hair cut. He challenged his friends and family to cut off his locks and make a donation towards a sound system in the dark and sound rooms. Here are some photos of David and Linda early on in the hair cutting.
Huge thanks to David and everyone who made a donation to this worthy cause.
Linda and David hold up one of the dreadlocks that was cut off to raise money for the sound system in the dark and sound rooms at HECC.
This is a photo of a possible carving design
Photo of the possible tactile mural design featuring the local area
One of the current projects is a tactile mural and carving of a waka tete (fishing waka) in the front entrance of the centre. We have had a series of meetings with local Kaumatua from Te Whānau o Homai and Manurewa Marae to discuss this project. They have all been in support of the kaupapa (purpose) of this project and we are ready now to make contact with the carver….watch this space for updates!
This is a photo of a train arriving at Homai Station
This is a photo of a train parked at the Homai station
We went on a train journey to Sylvia Park shopping centre with the children from the Monday and Wednesday sessions. For some of the children and their families this was their first train trip. We caught the train at Homai Station and everyone had a ticket to hold. Each time the train stopped we listened and we felt the change in movement of the train. There were 6 stops between Homai Station and Sylvia Park Station. When we got to Sylvia Park, we walked to Pak ‘n’ Save and the children bought a bun for morning tea. While they ate the bun the teachers and families had a coffee. Unfortunately it was raining so we didn’t have a chance to play on the playground. The return trip was just as exciting and a few of the children were reluctant to get off the train at Homai!
Here are two of the children’s reflections of the train trip:
“It was fun. I buyed a bun from Pak ‘n’ Save. Can we go to Sylvia Park again? Hiss! Beep, beep, beep! Ding, ding, ding, ding! I like the train. Can we go to Sylvia Park on the train today?”
“I went on the train with Mummy. I kept moving when the brakes come on. I buyed a bun.”
This is a view of the Homai ECC playground after the first planting bee.
A group of parents, whānau, teachers, spouses and children gathered today to begin the planting of our HECC orchard. The rain held off just long enough for us to get the trees and vines into the ground. Thanks to everyone who assisted us on this first of many working bees.