ANZAC Day under lock down

On Saturday the 25th April we celebrated ANZAC day. But in Level 4 lock down because of Covid-19. Meaning we were able to celebrate, but only with our bubbles and from either a distance or through an online presence. Te Wairua Pakiki 5 acknowledge a huge part of our ANZAC Day celebrations in Religious Education. We did this because Anzac can be a good time to focus on peace.

First we read and discussed some scripture readings that had a theme of Peace:

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. 

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Next we each made a copy of a poppy and opened it in a Google Drawing so we could edit and add text to it. We had to explain in our own words: 

1. What is peace? 
2. Where do we find it? 
3. How do we share it?

We then shared these poppys back with out teacher who created a wreath online of our poppys. How did you celebrate ANZAC Day?

Parihaka - A peaceful protest gone wrong

This week is the 138th year since the invasion of Parahaka. Last week our class began looking at the people involved and what their actions represented. First, we watched a short introduction video which gave us an oversight of what happened.

Secondly, we split off and did our own individual research about Parihaka. Here is what Jabez found out.

The Parihaka Pa in 1881

Who founded Parihaka?
The village was founded about 1866 by Māori chiefs Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi on land seized by the government during the post-New Zealand Wars land confiscations of the 1860s.

What does Parihaka mean? 
Parihaka was a Māori settlement in Taranaki in the 1860's when New Zealand was a British colony, and the land was being divided up and given to European settlers.

Why is Parihaka important to new Zealand? 
The Invasion of Parihaka was contributed to by a number of causes such as pressure on the government, by European settlers, for New Zealand land to buy and inhabit that would be sourced as Maori land. ... The Waitangi Tribunal allowed for Maori to move on and to accept what had happened in the past.

When was Parihaka invaded? 
About 1600 government troops invaded the western Taranaki settlement of Parihaka, which had come to symbolise peaceful resistance to the confiscation of Māori land. Founded in the mid-1860s.

Where did Parihaka take place?
 Located seven kilometres inland from the coast near Pungarehu, Parihaka is a small Taranaki settlement with a big history. The events that took place in and around the area, particularly between 1860 and 1900, have affected the political, cultural and spiritual dynamics of the entire country.

How did Parihaka start? 
The Parihaka settlement was founded about 1866, at the close of the Second Taranaki War and a year after almost all Māori land in Taranaki had been confiscated by the Government to punish "rebel" Māori.

If you would like to see more from Jabez. click here

Keep checking back throughout the week to see what we discuss next about Parihaka and the people involved.

Mindfulness in Room 5

For our Re-build initiative at St Pius X we have been looking at how to rebuild ourselves. A huge part of that has been practising mindfulness. For us mindfulness is about being present, reconnecting with ourselves, our peers and Papatūānuku as well as helping us to self regulate and be grateful for what good we have around us every day.

It takes a lot of practice but every day we are improving and enjoying our time to sit and reflect for a few moments every day.

We created a Mindfulness slide to help others understand what it is we are hoping to achieve. There are also some fun mindfulness videos that have helped us so far!

Some of our classmates prefer to sit up others prefer to lie down.

We keep our hands on our stomachs to help us focus on our breathing. It is like blowing up a balloon.