Reflections on ANZAC Day 2016

This is the day New Zealanders pay tribute to the soldiers who died on 25 April 1915, eight months into the First World War, when the Allied soldiers landed on the shores of the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey.

It is a day to honour all people who have paid the ultimate sacrifice of their life, and service men and women work around the world to keep people safe from war and disaster. 

See NZ Herald photos and videos of ANZAC Day 2016

ANZAC Day has not only become a public holiday, but a day to be with family and friends in this peaceful country. We are a nation that celebrates cultural diversity, and the freedom to choose how we live.

The Last Post Reveille sounding from a trumpet always brings many emotions to the surface

• How did you spend ANZAC Day this year?
• What does Aotearoa, New Zealand mean to you?
• What do you value about living in this country?
  
  

The poppy flower is a symbol of remembrance on Anzac Day. It was the first flower to grow in the battle fields where men had fought and died in Flanders, Belgium, Europe.

Flowers are very powerful symbols. 

In Japan, Sakura, the cherry blossom represents the fragile beauty of life.

In South Africa the Protea, is a symbol of courage and transformation.

In Samoa, the Frangipani means everlasting life.

Museum Week Worldwide

What are museums?

A museum is a place that cares for collections of artifacts, objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. These collections are there for us to see and learn about our own people and other cultures.

Did you know it is worldwide Museum Week?
 Explore Museum Week on Twitter

#MuseumWeek

March 28 - April 3, 2016

                                  What's On at Auckland Museum

These are some cultural artifacts in my house. They are a snapshot of my cultural background and personal interests. Think about what would be some artifacts in your home that show your culture. Post a photograph or comment.

Basket made by my cousin Cora Baillie using recycled material scraps

Favourite books I inherited from my mother

Aztec necklace from my husband's family who come from Argentina

Painting by my artist friend Frances Hansen on the need to protect the environment

Race Relations Day March

2016 Theme: Welcoming Diversity

This year's Race Relations Day theme is "Welcoming Diversity".

New Zealand is one of the most ethnically diverse nations on earth. It is also one of the most peaceful. The change in our society has happened very fast, in less than a generation. Our newest Kiwis come here, as we all did once, as migrants or refugees.

Our biggest challenge is how we choose to live our lives and what kind of country we let New Zealand become. This Race Relations Day the Human Rights Commission is asking all Kiwis to welcome and get to know the people in your community. What you do makes all the difference.
Human Rights Commission

Today we came together as a whole school in a heart formation. We were hoping to capture an image of how culturally diverse we are at Sunnynook Primary School.

Photograph by Audrey Cadness

Click here for more photographs of our 'heart' for Relations Day

2015 Relations Day

Things To Do In Class

Drawing our diversity

Create a class poster as a visual representation of its diversity. Take a piece of paper and partner up with someone. Draw your partner. Montage all the class drawings together. Take a photograph to share on the blog.

3Words

Imagine you are writing a profile to introduce yourself on your class Wiki, join Facebook or a social network site.

Write your profile using only three words to describe who you are. Try not to just think of physical descriptions or personality but also words relating to other factors such as your beliefs, the different communities you belong to and these origins. Share them on the blog.

Tervetuloa (Welcome) to the Klen family from Finland

Welcome to Urho, Into and Taimi Klen who have flown all the way from Finland and will be at Sunnynook this term.

The distance they travelled from Finland to New Zealand is 16,893km

The off-centred blue cross is based on the Scandinavian Cross, a cross widely used on Scandinavian country flags. The blue color is symbolic of blue skies, and the thousands of lakes in Finland. The white represents the winter snows.

Click here for some useful Finnish phrases to say to Taimi, Into or Urho

The Lantern Festival

This weekend brought together all the people living in Auckland to celebrate the Chinese New Year.Did you go? Post a comment about your experience.

The Auckland War Memorial Museum lit up at night for the 2016 Lantern Festival

A fantastic blend of cultures with this Maori warrior Chinese lantern

Rows of colourful lanterns decorated the tree branches at The Domain

Welcome back to school!

Welcome back to a new year at Sunnynook Primary School. I hope you have all had a great break this summer. Here's a snapshot from my holiday camping in the Bay of Islands. Post a comment on the blog to say what you did.

Camping at Elliot Bay, Bay of Islands December 2015

This month our Chinese students will celebrate the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Monkey. Below are the dates and venue so that you can join in the celebrations with your family and friends.  (新年快樂)

Learn how to say "Happy New Year" in simple Chinese

The Chinese Lantern Festival will be at the Auckland Domain for the first time this year. Below are a few of the entertainment acts advertised for the event: 

Second Hand Rose (Chinese: 二手玫瑰; pinyin: èrshǒu méiguī) rock band

Shanghai Puppet Theatre

Guangdong Traditional Music Philharmonic

Guanzhou Acrobatic Arts Theatre.

Our Auckland: Auckland Council website for The Chinese Lantern Festival

Auckland War Memorial Museum lights up to welcome in the Chinese Lunar New Year 20 February to 21 February 2016

Chinese New Year celebrations around the world

Happy Holidays

Pasifika Christmas Tree

Sunnynook Urban Angels

 Sheng Dan Kuai Le, Meri krismas, Feliz Navidad, Merii Kurisumasu, Maligayang Pasko miilaad majiid, vesela koleda,  joyeux Noël, selamat Natal, rik reay bon Noel, selamat hari natal, meri Kirihimete, S rozhdestvom Khristovym, ia manuia le Kerisimasi, sretan Božić, and Merry Christmas!