The+Arts+Week+-+Harakeke

1st December - 5th December **
 * Arts Festival Week '08

====The Arts Week is a week where we recognise the many different types of Arts that there are in the world. In Room 5 we focussed on the Maori Culture and the different types of Art they have and do produce today.==== Our focus was on the Harakeke (flax). We learnt about the importance of the harakeke to the Maori and how we should treat this beautiful plant.

__Here are a few quotes from students from Room 5.__

//**"Firstly, Mr.Daniels talked about the harakeke and how we should cut the flax. We learnt about the mother, father and child flax. You should never cut the mother or father flax if they have a child between them because they need both parents to grow strong and develop. On the outer layer of the mother and father are the grandparents. They are okay to cut because they have had a long life and have seen their children grow up and produce their own children. This was very interesting." Female, Rm5

"We learnt that when we strip the certain bits from the flax that we don't put them in the bin but we make a pile and tie them up tightly then put them back into the harakeke bush. This is important because the Maori believe that this will help the harakeke bush grow. We are giving back to the bush." Male, Rm5**//

Check out the video below if you are interested in creating your own Harakeke flower.

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