About
About REANZ
Reggio Emilia Aotearoa New Zealand (REANZ) is a charitable trust that has been in existence since June 2009. There are eleven trustees of REANZ each of whom bring a considerable breadth of expertise and experience from a variety of early childhood – from teacher education sites, practioners working in both the early childhood and primary sector, and those in other roles related to ECE. REANZ is committed to providing opportunities for teachers to critically engage with the pedagogy of Reggio Emilia within the cultural content of Aotearoa. One of the main aims of REANZ is that the knots and complexities that can emerge from these encounters with Reggio pedagogy and practice will cause educators to look more closely at their own ideas about education.
We celebrated the launch of REANZ at Highwic House in June 2009. Jan Millikan our friend and mentor from Melbourne was our special guest. The focus of the launch was ‘values’ and Lorraine Manuela reminded us of the words of the Dalai Lama; “Open your arms to Change, but never let go of your values”. Lorraine went on to say that the launch of REANZ gave us the opportunity to embrace new beginnings, never letting go of our values. Values we believe are paramount in the footsteps we take on our journey with children.
Thelma Chapman read this whakatauki that embraces our links with the koru frond.
Tau ana ko te noho tahitanga
O nga whanau, o nga tuakana
Me nga teina I roto I te whariki ngahere
Ara, ka puawai nga tamariki a Matariki
Mahia nga mahi o nga tamariki
Hei apopo ka tu
Hei rangatira
Peaceful earthy colours from the forest weave a mat
For the koru frond to rest upon,
smaller koreu are securely nestled.
From this embrace stars burst forth to realize their potential.
Fulfill the needs of our children and tomorrow
they stand strong.
(International Children’s Day)
