“Learning about our past is essential, because it helps us to understand the present. To know ourselves properly, we need to think about where we’ve come from.”
Atholl Anderson – Ngai Tahu (The Past Beneath Our Feet by Ross Calman; SJ L3, May 2016)
Students worked hard in Term 2 to make meaning of our theme, the past, present and future in the Cook Islands. Students first analysed media and information that they might come across in their daily lives. They learned strategies to help them make decisions about the trustworthiness of information sources. Then, they prepared to tell their own stories. Students thought about the importance of oral tradition and explored storytelling from different Pacific cultures to decide what to share and how to share it. Finally, they became media makers by telling their stories from the past.
In addition, students told stories through zenlyning. Lynette Ward is a New Zealand teacher with over 40 years of experience. Zen is a Japanese word that means meditate. Zenlynes is a meditative process that increases focus, which is why it is so calming. Schools use the method as a means to develop concentration, dexterity and creativity. Students’ artwork was inspired through Zenlynes. They worked through three stages, creating patterns before deciding what they were going to use to tell their stories. You will see their perspectives and the Pacific context throughout their art. The meaning of their artwork is told at the end of their story.
The final published work that students have produced is something that they and I am very proud of. I hope that you enjoy looking at their artwork and reading their stories – your stories.
