AUskola - May

On this day, we continued getting to know Hungarian letters, sounds, and syllables.We made little robot-people out of clothespins, and they turned out to be excellent at syllabification! We played a domino game with occupations and even a round of “hangman.” After pizza came the playground, followed by story time.

First, we watched Ludas Matyi in slide film format, and then we explored the clever Rabbit Interpreter by Ervin Lázár through traditional storytelling. After trying some interpreting ourselves, we held an impromptu musical talent show.

We closed the day with crafts, making heartfelt gifts for our moms.See you next week!

Kuki Edina

At the May session, the MID group started the day by singing children’s songs.Together, we sang “Süss fel, nap!” several times and acted out “Csip-csip csóka,” which the kids enjoyed immensely. In the next task, they had to name and break into syllables the objects shown in the pictures.

We practiced vowels with special focus on identifying the letters “A” and “Á” in words. We even wrote down words containing those vowels. Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, we headed out for a little competition: a tug-of-war match that everyone thoroughly enjoyed – students of all ages participated.

After lunch, we made Mother's Day surprises in the craft corner. The kids were so enthusiastic that the 90 minutes just flew by.

Erika Andrell

Our most recent school session focused on poetry.We began by getting familiar with the Hungarian alphabet, words, and syllables, as these basics were essential for creating our own kabuki poems later on.

We then reflected together on what makes a text a poem and what makes poetry special. We collected words for an autumn-themed poem and later talked about mothers — many kids even shared some poems they knew.

For Mother's Day, we made a "jar of love," into which we placed our self-written kabuki poems. In the afternoon, the middle and older girls learned a dance choreography with Fanni that they plan to surprise the parents with at the end-of-year celebration.

Dóra Lenihan

At this weekend’s school day, we tackled a more serious topic with the kids.Before diving into the world of entrepreneurship, we warmed up with fun games — tug-of-war and feather duels brought lots of laughter and cheer.

The entrepreneurship lesson was led by Attila Csizmadia, who gave a presentation for the kids. In the morning, we explored why businesses are needed, how products are made, and the steps leading to realization.

We also took a look at Hungarian businesses in Auckland — for example, the Hungarian Sausage Box — and talked about the costs involved in running a business. We learned some basic financial terms like income, expense categories, and different types of businesses.

Lastly, we discussed how to choose a profession wisely. With the kids, we reflected on what they'd enjoy doing. Using an IKIGAI diagram, we analyzed what they love doing, what the world needs, what they could be paid for, and what they’re good at.

In the afternoon, we learned how to play marbles ("gojszlizni") and began laying the groundwork for the famous marble scene from The Paul Street Boys, which we plan to perform with the older kids at the end of the year.

Áron Darvasi and István Csata

In May, we spent another cheerful and meaningful Saturday at the Auckland Hungarian School.As last time, we kicked off the day with an optional guitar lesson, held for the second time by Csaba, the guitar teacher. The group program began again with warm-up games.

The kids stood in a circle and followed my instructions, repeating them aloud. For example, when I said, "Jump to the left!" they would repeat it and actually jump to the left. Then we made the game harder: although they said the instruction aloud, they had to move in the opposite direction. This caused some confusion, but the kids quickly got the hang of it. Finally, we complicated the rules even more: now they had to say the opposite instruction, while their movements had to follow the original one. This was the hardest challenge, but with lots of laughter and persistence, they managed!

We ended with one of my all-time favorites — “the human knot.” With eyes closed, everyone grabbed someone else’s hands, and then they had to untangle themselves into a circle.

After the games, we split into smaller groups to start the sessions. I stayed with the playgroup, where we prepared Mother's Day surprises. Since in New Zealand Mother’s Day is celebrated a week later, the timing of our crafting was just right.

After the gifts were ready, we made colorful rainbows and learned the Hungarian names of the colors in a playful way. The much-anticipated pizza lunch crowned the morning — the kids ate heartily, then quickly returned to the playground as if lunch had only been a brief break between games.

In the afternoon, with the middle and older girls, we began learning a special choreography that we plan to perform at the end-of-year celebration. The dance is set to a medley of popular Hungarian hits, so we practiced not only the moves but also the lyrics.

The magic of this performance truly comes alive when we all sing — or rather shout — the familiar lines at the top of our lungs, like “Az éjjel soha nem érhet véget.” The girls threw themselves into rehearsal with great enthusiasm, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

It’s a heartwarming experience to share the joy of music and movement — especially when dancing to the same songs I once danced to as a child.We wrapped up another joyful, laughter-filled day full of games and fun.

See you again in June!

Fanni Csényi

The May school day was full of excitement.It was a Saturday, a pleasant 18°C, with only scattered clouds and sunshine — the perfect weather for a cheerful school day.

In the morning, the older kids and I discussed entrepreneurship as an economic model. With surprising maturity, they answered questions so well that I suddenly felt I wasn’t in a kids' class, but surrounded by young entrepreneurs.

We interrupted the morning lesson for a tug-of-war match — last week the kids beat me, but this time I seized the chance for revenge. In the neighboring room, the girls watched jealously, so I joined them and organized a match there too.

As lunchtime approached, Dóri, the middle group teacher, asked me to drive to the nearby pizzeria to pick up the already-ordered twelve pizzas.

With windows down and music playing, I drove to the pizzeria. Of course, there was no parking — I found a tiny spot in a no-parking area, flipped on the hazard lights, hoping I wouldn't get fined.

Inside, a smiling lady began stacking the twelve pizzas. By the time she handed me the last box, I couldn’t see a thing. I slowly maneuvered this "pizza leaning tower" in my arms, trying to hurry too, since I was still parked illegally.

At the pedestrian crossing, the light turned red. A beautiful blonde girl with blue eyes stepped up to me. "You dropped something," she said. It was the receipt. She held it out, and I looked at her in a way that made her understand I had no free hands. I asked her to tuck it into my pocket.

We looked at each other. I started wondering why I had to meet the love of my life while carrying twelve pizzas. She asked if I needed help. I imagined us walking to the car together, slow motion, romantic music, kiss at the end — but sadly, I had no time to flirt, I had a job to do. So I politely declined.

“Where are you taking them?” she asked. “To a weekend school,” I said, “for the kids.” She said I was very kind. I could see she wanted to keep talking, but the light turned green. I said goodbye to this stunning girl I’d probably never see again, leaving behind only the scent of fresh pizza.

I didn’t get fined — phew! — and quickly returned to the school, where the kids, those little sharks, pounced on the pizza pile. It was hard to act like an adult, as I’m a pizza fanatic, but I waited patiently, hoping they'd leave me some.

In the end, I got 6–7 slices. In the afternoon, we practiced The Paul Street Boys marble scene. We learned how to play marbles, and the kids were fully into it — time flew.

At the end of the day, I lay down on the court and told the kids, “If you hit me, the game ends — that’s the challenge.” Of course, they all hit me. We laughed a lot, then packed up, and suddenly there was a deep silence in the schoolyard.

I looked at the empty pizza boxes and thought how much I’m looking forward to June, to meet these amazing little humans again.

Áron Darvasi