A tale of a whale

Our Preschoolers’ are embarking on a big mission to understand, learn and create a story of their Moana and will be expressing them through illustration on a whale tail that has been kindly donated by one of our students Millie Prior and her parents Hannah and Paul.

Our 4 and 5-year-old’s creative work will be one of a pod of 200 uniquely designed and painted whale tail sculptures that will be exhibited as part of an immersive public art trail of ‘Whale Tales 2022’ by WWF-New Zealand.

These Tails, which are inspired by the endangered Bryde’s whale, will tell a different tale of our Moana and how we all have a part to play for a healthy ocean. Each tail will be created by artists, community groups and schools.

At the Preschool, it presents an opportunity for our children to learn about environmental issues, the impact of their daily activities and actions towards mother earth and translate what they have learnt into an art form.

Our Preschool Assistant Supervisor, Devon Rand, explained that this exercise will create interest in a topical issue that impacts our future generation and inspire a passion for the arts. “Our children have begun working together to plan and design the tail. They explored the concept of ‘concentric circles’ by the artist Kandinsky and discussed colours they would like to use. The design process of combining the concentric circles using their chosen Saint Kentigern House colours allowed us to relay the message of sharing a common centre, connection, faith and values here at Saint Kentigern.”

“Aligning well with our New Zealand Curriculum, Te Whariki, we hope that through this experience our children will play, imagine, invent and experiment with different artistic processes and that they will use a range of strategies and skills to play and learn with and alongside others. During the design process we will be looking at ways to enrich their pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills, as well as helping them recognise print symbols and concepts and using them with enjoyment, meaning and purpose,” added Devon.

We can’t wait to share updates on our progress and the final masterpiece which will be showcased at the Auckland Museum. Watch this space!