A Bit About Us..

Kia ora and Welcome to Expressions of Winter

We are sisters who are both qualified ECE teachers who were raised in the small Waikato town of Tokoroa. Our small town upbringing in a multicultural community instilled in us strong core values of equality and inclusion which we have carried with us on our teaching journey and has played a big part in how/why we make the resources that we do.

Our appreciation for the cultures of New Zealand is a huge driving force behind what we do and this was fueled even further with the arrival of Jenna's daughter, Braxton who is a strong kōtiro Māori who continues to influence our direction. Jenna is now also pregnant with her second child whose partner has now become more involved in the business, weaving in his Māori culture and knowledge. Alesha has two young children, Danni and Meed, who are continually learning and developing and we thrive on using natural resources to guide and facilitate their learning.

We believe that language is an important part of culture, so we know the importance of keeping te reo alive and understand that fostering tamariki at a young age to learn te reo makes a huge difference for the future. We also include all three of New Zealand's official languages, NZ Sign Language, te reo Māori and English in our products as much as possible.

Within Te Whāriki (early childhood curriculum) it is stated that children are more likely to feel at home if they regularly see their own culture, language and world views valued in their environment (Belonging/Mana Whenua, Te Whāriki). With that in mind we were encouraged to provide opportunities for this to take place and represent the cultures of the Treaty of Waitangi, Māori and Tauiwi/Pakeha. Our resources have been created with the knowledge and respect that culture cannot be taught through toys or resources, but that the use of such, through play with elders who hold knowledge about culture can aid in deepening understandings.

We absolutely love being able to provide these resources, so go take a good look around.

We hope you like what you see :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ngā mihi

Alesha and Jenna