Busy Tuesday for all

This morning the GSE team had vocational visits in the morning followed by a full agenda as a group the rest of the day. In the morning Christina and I (Ginger) visited two unique Early Childhood Settings. The first was Kororipo Kohanga Preschool and is a Maori immersion program. The children come from English speaking homes and attend this program in order to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Maori language and culture. It was impressive the way the children were all interacting with the staff completely in the Maori language. Second we were able to visit the Arohanui Preschool which was a purpose built center on a two acre setting. There are two separate buildings, one for children 3 months to 3 years and the other for children 3 to 5 years. As in previous Early Childhood observations in NZ I was amazed at the great use of outdoor space and the overall confidence of the children.

After the morning vocational visits we came together as a team and were able to participate in a Maori welcome ceremony at the Okaihau College (which is a high school by our definition). The children were fabulous, Jeff spoke his part well and then we were all treated to a very nice lunch. The hospitality of the school was very much appreciated by all. Next the team moved on to the Top Energy geothermal power station at Ngawha. Even though some of us didn't understand much of the technology, it was a very interesting and informative visit and gave us all another insight into how New Zealand handles it's business and energy practices. Our final stop was a visit to a dairy farm where they milk 700 cows. It was very interesting seeing the cows file in and take their place on a giant turntable for milking and then wander back out to the pasture. Our full day was made complete by a potluck dinner at the home of John and Helen Toms. A great time was had by all and each GSE member was given a gift from the Kerikeri Club. As I said, very busy day, but very nice as well. Stay tuned for an update on our touring whirlwind Wednesday.