This week we have been learning about Te Whare Tapa Whā. With its strong foundations and four equal sides, the symbol of the wharenui illustrates the four dimensions of Māori well-being.

The most important thing for tamariki to understand is that many things contribute to our wellbeing: What is ‘wellbeing’? We like this simple way of defining wellbeing as – Feeling Good and Functioning Well.

When we ‘check in’ with ourselves and others, we can ask: Am I feeling okay and able to do the things I need to? If the answer is ‘yes’, our wellbeing is kapai! Now onto our Whare! 

Our Te Whare Tapa Whā shows all the areas that contribute to our wellbeing, including our:

• Taha tinana – physical health.
• Taha whānau – family and social health.
• Taha wairua – spiritual health, e.g. our “beliefs, values, traditions, and practices, that support self-awareness & identity”.
• Taha hinengaro – mental and emotional health. 
• Whenua – our connection to the land, our place and our roots.

In the Whare Tapa Whā model, these areas form the foundations and walls of the whare. If we’re caring for each area, our whare is strong and we’re likely to have great wellbeing. If we’re not feeling our best, we can look at these areas and see which ones we can strengthen.

This week, the children made houses from cards and explored how if one or more elements are weak then the whole structure is affected. 

We have also been exploring breathing exercises as a way to calm our minds and re-energise.