Melville Intermediate - Matariki Summary by Owen and Josh

Matariki is a constellation of seven stars that represent the Maori New Year which takes place in late May or early June. It occurs just prior to sunrise. In tradition Matariki was a season to celebrate and prepare for the New Year coming. 

A lot of the produce of the preparation was given to the god of food Rongo. 

The constellation was important for navigating and timing the seasons. Matariki has an English name: Pleiades star cluster.

The constellation Matariki has seven sisters their names are: Electra, Maia, Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Asterope and Merope.

Matariki is featured often you just don’t notice it for instance does anyone know the Subaru logo, well it has seven stars and those stars are the one (seven) and only Matariki stars. There are many paintings of them in museums (and even more not so great attempts).

Melville Intermediate - Maori Language Week 2012 - Longest Word

Kia Ora, Everybody,

We are recording about the longest Maori place name and word in New Zealand. So when it is Maori Language Week, you can use the word. Here's how to spell it: taumatawhakatangihangakoauautamateaturei-i-heiapukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatu. If you want to know how I learnt it practice it in brackets.

Kia Ora, Morgan King. 

Melville Intermediate - Room 14's Slideshow

We've received some very positive feedback from those of you who loved the Room 14's Poi E/Matariki video. This slideshow was shot on the day by Codie from Room 8. If you still haven't seen Room 14's brilliant video then you can do so by clicking here.

Melville Intermediate - R14's take on Boy

This is going to be updated shortly.

Room 14 Matariki Video: Poi E from myles webb on Vimeo.

In our classroom we have been learning lots about Matariki the traditional Maori new year celebration. One way of celebrating Matariki is by making this video, we used as our inspiration the movie 'Boy' the music in the video is the song Poi-E by the Patea Maori Clube. Report and filming by Tyler, Room 14.