Denise Green
Upper South RC
03 929 6578 or 027 369 3333

I have recently returned from a week in Wellington, training with our national team and my colleagues from around the motu/country. We have some exciting new training on the horizon for Term 3 and I look forward to bringing you the new material. We are committed and dedicated to our therapeutic parenting model of DDP (Dyadic Developmental Parenting) that is designed to enable traumatised children to trust their caregiver in order to turn to them for comfort and support. It uses what we know about attachment and developmental trauma to help children and families with their relationships, providing interventions for families and those who support them.

The term 2 training calendar is still open for registration. If you are interested in attending or want to know more about our training options, click the button below:

I’ve also been to Greymouth to connect with caregivers there and to set up a local support group. We had a lovely lunch together with our tamariki and I look forward to seeing the caregivers connecting and supporting each other.

Matariki

As we approach Matariki, please look at Event Finder online to find the nearest Matariki celebration to you.

The time Matariki is celebrated traditionally varies between iwi in New Zealand. While some iwi celebrates when the star cluster first rises during May/June, others will celebrate during the first full moon or new moon after the rising of Matariki. Some iwi, especially on the West Coast who cannot see Matariki clearly, traditionally celebrate the Maori New Year with the rising of Puanga – also known as Rigel in the constellation of Orion.

Today, Matariki is more commonly celebrated at the first new moon after the rising of Matariki. And, yay, it also becomes a public holiday starting in 2022. So, we can all take time to celebrate a time unique to Aotearoa.

Matariki marks the beginning of the Māori New Year, but it also has other significant meanings too. Traditionally, Matariki is seen as a time to remember those who have died during the past year, but it is seen more like a happy event – a sign of the cycles of life and death, a time to set new goals ahead. Usually, by this time of the year, crops had been harvested, seafood and birds had been gathered so the storehouses were full by the time the Matariki celebrations occur. The ground is being prepared for the new season of kai/food. With that Matariki becomes a celebration with kai, singing, dancing, and storytelling.  Some iwi celebrates when the star cluster first rises, others will celebrate at the first full moon or new moon after the rising of Matariki.  Many Matariki celebrations follow these same customs today, that’s why you might see flying kites, which are meant to represent the fluttering of the stars.

Matariki celebrations this year are due to begin on 19 June through to 11 July.

I hope you get the chance to celebrate Matariki.

Tiaki Koe i a Koe (Take Care of Yourself)

Denise

Coffee Support Groups

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Upper South Support Closed Facebook Group