Weaving the Fabric of Community

Whānau Award Winner – Kidsfirst Phillipstown

Kidsfirst Phillipstown is one of our most diverse kindergartens, renowned for its welcoming and inclusive approach. The kindergarten is always looking for ways to encourage whānau to participate in activities, and grow the sense of belonging and inclusion in the local community.

In 2020, Kidsfirst Phillipstown found another new way to demonstrate the value of whānau, with the creation of their Community Quilt – an enormous piece of art made up of different fabrics, themes, and stories which represent the many cultures that make up their kindergarten whānau, and the community in which it is so strongly embedded.

The success of their project was as much about the effort made by everyone to create the quilt, as it was about the finished product. Once a week, whānau, members of the community, and any visitors were welcomed at Phillipstown kindergarten to add their little bit to the quilt. This offered the perfect environment to bring people together, celebrate diversity, and fortify relationships between whānau and friends. Phillipstown Head Teacher, Kathy Harford, says a real sense of kotahitanga (unity of purpose) was apparent over the 10 weeks it took to finish, and it serves as a living reminder that everybody is welcome at Kidsfirst.

“We thought it was important to bring together all the whānau, tamariki, and organisations working with Phillipstown in a joint project, to reflect the diversity of our local neighbourhood,” says Kathy.

“We wanted to celebrate all the different families, cultures, and values by connecting them with each other and the community support systems. Whānau were at the centre of the project, and they were involved from the beginning conception to the end celebration. Tamariki and their families worked alongside each other which offered a greater sense of belonging for both.”

The project epitomised the importance of valuing and celebrating others. Whānau became more confident in sharing their own stories and experiences, which provided an enriched learning environment for all those involved.

The quilt features many designs that are special to the kindergarten community: An image of a small child depicted with a sewn up heart was added by the family of a child who underwent open heart surgery. A Fijian family sewed on traditional Fijian patterns, to represent their culture in the kindergarten space, and a Korean family added knitted miniature authentic dress to the design, among other features.

The quilt itself is structured around a river, which runs down the middle. The river represents the place the community comes from, and is adorned with a number of waka, with a unique design of their own. Each piece adds more life to the stories shared, and furthers the sense of togetherness represented by each waka.

Creating the quilt required a great deal of teamwork - but luckily, everyone was eager to get involved; Plunket, the Salvation Army, Phillipstown Community Hub, the Ministry of Education, and a number of student teachers were just some of those who loaned a helping hand.

Caption: Kidsfirst Phillipstown's Community

Quilt “Whānau made some great connections with the community support workers,” says Kathy. “Tamariki were actively involved, gaining a sense of belonging, and getting the chance to show off their creativity, as well as learning sewing skills. People were able to share their culture, skills, and knowledge, and feel proud of where they came from. It gave everyone a great sense of identity and understanding that their diversity is valued.”

Kathy says the significance of the quilt resonated with tamariki and created a space for open conversations.

“Not only do they love looking at the quilt, touching it and sharing stories about their involvement - but there’s a greater sense of engagement amongst whānau and the wider community about the education of tamariki. They are more involved in trips, coming in to help on a daily basis, and when we ask them to share ideas or talk about culture, they are more willing to do so. It had far reaching implications and outcomes for the whole community, which have extended far beyond the 10 weeks it took to create.”

The kaiako say the community is extremely proud of the outcome of the quilt and the wider messages it sends of acceptance, and acknowledgement.

“Everyone involved is so proud, and there is a story attached to every piece of the quilt that will be told for as long as the quilt hangs at the kindergarten.”

Our thanks to Play‘n’Learn for their generous support of this year’s Whānau award.

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