E te Ariki

School, school, school. Can't get enough of it. I love walking everyday for 45 mins while listening to my ipod, and then getting to the school grounds only to be greeted by a bunch of smiling NZ children. They could not be any cuter or nicer. I love these kids and do not know how in the world I will be able to leave them next month. They have so little and yet they are the happiest and sweetest kids ever. 

I finally got all my kids names down (mostly using nicknames) and have figured out all of their background information. Here's the range of diversity in my class:

Maori

1. Quvana ("Qua-vau-na")
2. Kairyn ("Ky-rin")
3. Ryan
4. Kenny
5. Dillyn
6. Eliza
7. Krista
8. Aku ("a-ku"...he was nice enough to let me shorten his name. I can't even begin to pronounce his actual name)
9. Amon ("A-mon")
10. Terry
11. Angelo

Tongan

1. Tevita T. ("T-vita")
2. Tevita A.
3. 'Ilaisanne ("Ill-i-sau-nee")

Samoan

1. Mykayla
2. Alexia
3. Sene ("sin-e")

Tuvalu

1. Togia ("Tong-ia")
2. Sheena
3. Maliani ("Mal-i-ani")
4. Alex
5. Telaki ("Tell-a-key")
6. PJ
7. Tauamatua (I can never say his name right--and there's no nickname for him--so I say "tau-ma-tu-a")
8. Inga

Australian

1. Aroha ("Air-ro-ha" which is also the word for LOVE in Maori)

Hawaiian

1. Tiare
2. Atticus

And then my teacher is from the Cook Islands. 

E te Ariki is the name of the song that we sing everyday after they do their Maori prayer. The song is like a religious song as well, to follow their prayer, and it is so beautiful. I love hearing the kids sing in Maori. So pretty! I'm also loving learning all of these songs in Maori. I am getting the words down pretty well....at least I think I am pronouncing them right haha! 

That song is probably my favorite thing in the whole day, but I also love working and teaching these kids math. It is fun to do basic math skills and see their excitement as I teach them how to do long division. They love when I give them more challenging problems and it is so much fun for me to see them progress and love learning!

Besides school, here's some Exciting News: Today is February 29 which means it is a leap year. And this morning Nisha HAD HER BABY girl :). They named her Faith and she weighs 9lbs. We are so excited to be able to see Nisha and baby Faith in a couple of days when they come back home! So exciting!!! Nisha has been dying to have her!

Gutter ball. The kids play this outside every day. It is just a triangular board
that they throw a ball at. If you hit the ball 10 times in a row you have
to step back farther. If you miss then it goes to the person on the other
side for their turn. If you have more than 2 people then you go to the
end of the line if you miss. 

Touch Rugby. The kids play this every morning and it is always the first
thing I see when I come to school each day. They are such good little
athletes. 

Jump Jams. This is dance fun that they do for exercise for their P.E. in
school. They turn on these songs that the kids know the dances to
and then they all just do the dances haha. It is so cute!!!

Fruit of the day: Carrots! I wanted to take a picture because I think
these carrots are HUGE and so yummy!!!