AUSKOLA - OCTOBER

The morning at the October Auskola started in a special way. Dorián graduated, that is, said goodbye to the small group and spent the school day with the middle group. The number of children in the small group remained the same, however, because a new little girl joined us – Szofi, who recently moved to Auckland from Hungary. Therefore, we began the day by getting to know each other, with introductions and a name-memory game so that everyone would feel comfortable. Then, as usual, we talked about the calendar, the weather, the seasons, and also shared how everyone spent the spring break. We had morning tea and ran out to the playground for a breath of fresh air. We continued with crafts, drawing and carving funny ghosts for Halloween. After the ghosts, there was a round of skill games, and then we joined the big group to learn about nature and to see who lives under the microscope. In the second half of the day, after lunch – playground – story time, we commemorated the Day of Hungarian Folk Games by playing “At the command of King Matthias.” The younger ones finished the day with coloring, the older ones with secret writing, and then we all cleaned up together.

Kuki Edina

After the warm-up games, we learned a children’s song to sing and perform with gestures. During the rest of the morning, Áron worked with the children, which everyone really enjoyed. They played and competed on an outdoor obstacle course, then came up with creative performances showing their personalities and talents. After lunch, it was time for crafts again: Juli surprised her classmates once more with origami folding. We made pumpkin lanterns and decorated them creatively. The children’s creativity shone here too. We spent a cheerful and atmospheric day together.

Andrell Erika

After the exciting session with the Biomimicry Hungary Association, the big group continued working on The Paul Street Boys. Together we watched the final scene of the film, which depicts the strong friendship between Boka and Ernő Nemecsek, followed by his loss and death. A very lively discussion unfolded in the group about transience and death. Many shared their thoughts on how different cultures relate to these questions – we also talked about All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day in Hungary. We looked at some beautiful Mexican and other intricately made death masks and discussed how they are used in other cultures. At the end of the day, everyone could make their own mask – this was our creative closure for the day.

Csata István

At the October Hungarian School, we took part in a unique and sensational presentation; the main theme was environmental protection. Fantastic presenters – young Hungarians living and traveling in New Zealand – came to visit us, who are involved in this topic alongside their main jobs. We started with a great game, had lots of discussions, and then watched two very shocking films about how humanity is destroying the living world of our beautiful planet. Through magnifying glasses, we could see many kinds of organisms. Lili Gondi brought her grandfather’s insect collection, which was a big hit with all age groups. After having pizza, we had to talk about the shocking animated film in the afternoon, which helped us process it calmly. At the end of the day, we assigned the roles for our year-end performance. What will it be? That’s a surprise for the parents on Santa Day! We also said goodbye to our KCSP scholarship holder, Fanni, who we will miss very much. Her extremely kind, always cheerful nature, her love for the children, and her fantastic warm-up games that she used to start the school days will remain memorable for all of us. We hope to see her again soon!

Lenihan Dóra

This time, we started the morning with a warm-up using one of our earlier favorite games, Color Shark. To make it more exciting, we always had more sharks, so the children had to be very careful not to get caught. During the day, we also organized a special presentation on ecology and sustainability. The presenters were Boróka Szőcs, Gergő Vizeli, and Renáta Papp, who conveyed the importance of nature conservation and sustainability to the children in an engaging and meaningful way. For the youngest children in the playgroup, however, this topic would have been too complex, so we stayed in our room making crafts and playing logic games. This time we made flowers from wooden sticks and colored paper. The children already used scissors and glue guns very skillfully and independently. When nobody could stay seated anymore, we headed to the playground, where, amid running and laughter, we examined the garden’s plants and vegetables and even looked for dandelions. Later, we joined the interactive presentation, where we could even observe live insects under a microscope! The children buzzed around excitedly – everyone wanted to try the microscope.

At the end of the day, I received a special surprise. The children and teachers said goodbye to me with a small celebration. It was a very touching moment – I received many kind messages and small gifts. In the afternoon, I joined the MID group for a joint craft activity. I am grateful for all the kindness and love I have received from the school community. I hope I was able to contribute a little to making the programs of the Auckland Hungarian School even more colorful and rich in experiences, and I trust that the children will remember me fondly.

Csényi Fanni

On October 11, the Auckland Weekend Hungarian School once again welcomed the children. This occasion was special because the morning session was filled with a presentation: Boróka Szőcs and her partner, Gergő, prepared an educational screening for the children, where sustainability played a major role. The students even had the chance to examine small animals and objects under magnification and take part in an insect exhibition. While the presentation was taking place, I held an activity for the middle group, where play was the main focus. Using a tennis racket, balls, and a hula hoop, we formed a circle, and the children had to hit the balls through the hoop from a distance. After that, they had to keep the ball in the air with the racket – the one who lasted the longest won. One of the boys managed to reach 112 hits. After lunch, István and I held a drama session with the big group. This time we practiced concentration skills. One half of the team had to create a tableau – a frozen picture of a chosen life situation. When the other half entered, they had to guess what scene it depicted. One tableau showed people waiting at a bus stop, the other a funeral. The latter also connected to the next part: we watched the final scene of The Paul Street Boys, where Nemecsek dies. This was followed by an interesting and deep conversation where the children shared their thoughts on this sensitive topic with surprising maturity and openness. We ended the day with a craft session where the children made Halloween-themed masks from paper plates.

Darvasi Áron