# MHJ — Full Content Index

> Complete listing of every published page on My Mairangi Journal. For the curated short version see /llms.txt. For machine-readable XML see /sitemap.xml.

Last updated: 2026-05-31

## Journal entries (61)

### Little 15 Mins

- [The first play date](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/the-first-play-date) (2026-05-12): A first playdate between a Year 1 Korean girl and her classmate — and how two immigrant families found each other through their daughters.
- [A Cookie Jar of Numbers — Jin's First 1 to 20](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/a-cookie-jar-of-numbers-jin-s-first-1-to-20) (2026-05-05): Year 1 maths is unfolding gently. A homemade cookie jar worksheet, a forgotten counting book, and an evening filled with numbers at our Mairangi Bay home.
- [[Y1] What's in the Lunchbox?](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/what-s-in-the-lunchbox) (2026-04-28): A NZ school Year 1 mum on the curry that got an "ewww", the rice ball called "sushi" — dramas and lessons inside a five-year-old's lunchbox.
- [Love You Too, Mummy Monster](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/love-you-too-mummy-monster) (2026-04-14): Jin is five, Korean-fluent, and learning English and Korean literacy at the same time. Here's what bilingual support looks like at home in Auckland.
- [[Y1] The Homework Book](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/the-homework-book) (2026-04-07): A look at what NZ Year 1 children learn to read — Alphabet phonics, Heart Words, Speed Words — and simple ways to support your child at home.
- [First Term Report](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/jins-first-term-report-year-1-nz) (2026-03-31): Jin started Year 1 less than a month ago. Here's what her first term feedback looked like — and what Little Learners Love Literacy actually means.
- [[Y1] She's Already There](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/shes-already-there) (2026-03-17): Jin started Year 1. The gap between her two languages is exactly why we built StoryPress — a 15-minute English app for immigrant families.
- [The App We Dreamt Of](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/the-app-we-dreamt-of) (2026-03-01): Fifteen minutes a day. Four words. One story. Here's the app we wished had existed.
- [The Word Cards](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/the-word-cards) (2026-02-20): A handful of homemade cards, a little girl, and the afternoon she started making up her own stories.
- [So We Made Our Own](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/so-we-made-our-own) (2026-02-14): When no app or workbook quite fit, we built our own. 104 hand-made word cards and the beginning of something bigger.
- [What We Tried — Nothing Quite Fit](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/what-we-tried-nothing-quite-fit) (2026-01-16): Videos, books, worksheets, apps — we tried them all. What worked, what didn't, and what we learned along the way.
- [Being the only one](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/being-the-only-one) (2026-01-08): Five months before school, we gave our youngest something she'd never had — time at the centre of our world. A family decision backed by research.
- [We Hit Pause](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/we-hit-pause) (2026-01-02): She had friends. She was happy. But settling into a routine isn't the same as settling into a language.
- [I Want to Go Back](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/i-want-to-go-back) (2025-12-27): She grumbled that daycare only speaks English. Then, days later, she asked for her water bottle — in English.
- [Fearless Four](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/fearless-four) (2025-12-20): She was fearless with people but late to talk. Then she landed in New Zealand, where nothing sounded like home.

### Home Learning

- [[NZ] NCEA Is Changing: Following the Curriculum Shake-Up](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/nz-ncea-is-changing-following-the-curriculum-shake-up) (2026-05-23): We're still new to NZ's school system, and the curriculum keeps shifting under us. A migrant parent's notes on learning it before our children do.
- [Learning Aid: Scholastic Book Club](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/learning-aid-scholastic-book-club) (2026-05-14): How Scholastic Book Club works in NZ — sign-up, discounts up to 77% off, and why it's a quiet curation tool for immigrant parents.
- [Step up: Reading aloud](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/step-up-reading-aloud) (2026-05-07): A school Read Aloud Log became the start of two very different reading journeys. Reading slowly into New Zealand history, learning to lift her voice.
- [[Y7] Intermediate Guide: Specialist Subjects](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/intermediate-guide-specialist-subjects) (2026-04-30): What Specialist subjects look like in Year 7 at a New Zealand intermediate, and what one Mairangi Bay family noticed in the first term.
- [Anzac Home Learning : The Red Poppy](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/anzac-home-learning-the-red-poppy) (2026-04-23): How we turned a New Zealand picture book into five scenes of deep reading and writing for a Year 6 and Year 7 — with free worksheets to download.
- [Starting School in New Zealand](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/starting-school-in-new-zealand) (2026-04-16): A practical guide to New Zealand's school system for newcomer families — structure, enrolment, transfers, short-term stays, and what to prepare before day one.
- [Word Fun at Dinner](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/word-fun-at-dinner) (2026-04-09): No prep, no patience required. How five minutes of word games at dinner kept our home learning alive — and why it worked better than a schedule.
- [How our study plan fell apart (AGAIN)](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/how-our-study-plan-fell-apart-again) (2026-04-06): Our home learning plan collapsed the moment the school term started. Here's what survived — and why half a success is still worth something.
- [[NZ] NCEA Is Changing: No More Levels, No More Credits](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/ncea-is-changing-no-more-levels-no-more-credits) (2026-04-02): NCEA is being replaced by 2030. Here's what the changes mean for your child, and what's still to be confirmed.
- [[Y7] "Oh, Just You Today?"](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/oh-just-you-today) (2026-03-25): Min's first triadic conference at intermediate — what I learned about NZ school assessments, PAT results, and where we go next as a settler family.
- [When the Plan Meets Reality](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/when-the-plan-meets-reality) (2026-02-09): Home learning week one: what worked, what didn't, and how we adjusted routines. The reality of starting a self-directed learning system from scratch.
- [Setting Personal Routines](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/setting-personal-routines) (2026-02-07): Two girls at critical transitions — how we built personalised home learning routines for Year 7 and Year 6 in New Zealand.
- [Why We Learn At Home](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/why-we-learn-at-home) (2026-02-05): Why we restarted home learning in New Zealand—a settler mum's honest account of the first attempt, the lessons learned, and a fresh approach.
- [[Y7] Part 2: Science & Social Science](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/year-7-science-social-studies-nz) (2026-01-18): NZ Year 7 curriculum for Science and Social Studies—from the Treaty of Waitangi to ecosystems and democracy, what intermediate students learn.
- [[Y7] Part 1: English & Mathematics](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/year-7-english-mathematics-nz) (2026-01-17): NZ Year 7 curriculum for English and Mathematics—what students learn and how parents can support the transition from primary to intermediate school.
- [[Y7] Understanding Year 7](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/year-7-intermediate-school-nz-curriculum) (2026-01-14): Min starts intermediate in three weeks. My husband and I are navigating the NZ schooling system from scratch — this is our journey to understand Year 7.

### Whānau

- [Growing without a Score ](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/growing-without-a-score) (2026-04-08): A Korean mother reflects on NZ's non-ranked education system, streaming schools, extracurricular culture, and what it means to raise children here.

### Settlement

- [Byebye Mommy](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/settlement-008) (2025-11-29): The shipping container arrives, my parents leave for Korea, and the house slowly becomes a home—an emotional week of unpacking, goodbyes, and piano melodies.
- [Landing Home](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/landing-home) (2025-11-28): Moving into our new home—, cardboard box dinners on the first night, ocean views, and seven people making a mostly-empty house feel like home.
- [School Days Begin](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/settlement-006) (2025-11-27): First days of school in New Zealand—Sistema lunchboxes, barefoot children, Korean friends, and three sisters finding their footing in Auckland's multilingual classrooms.
- [How We Met Our Home](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/settlement-005) (2025-11-26): Finding a rental house in Auckland in just two days—a worn two-story home with a yard where three girls could finally run free, like the Totoro sisters.
- [Kia Ora, Aotearoa](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/settlement-004) (2025-11-25): Our first chaotic week in Auckland—wrong Airbnb, bungee jumpers from a hotel window, unexpected kindness, and a daughter with a cold. Kia ora, New Zealand.
- [Night Above the Clouds](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/settlement-003) (2025-11-24): Farewell to our home of eight years, our car, and Korea itself—the emotional departure day and eleven-hour flight to Aotearoa New Zealand.
- [Life Came Without a Manual](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/settlement-002) (2025-11-23): Visa paperwork, shipping containers, and saying goodbye to eight years of life in Korea—the overwhelming practical reality of preparing to emigrate to New Zealand.
- [Back to School (What?!)](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/back-to-school-what) (2025-01-21): Cramming for IELTS while raising three kids—the chaotic true story of getting into Massey University's graduate program before our family emigrated to NZ.

### Life in Aotearoa

- [Every Day Is Mother's Day](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/every-day-is-mother-s-day) (2026-05-10): My second Mother's Day in New Zealand was small and quiet — handmade cards, a paper ring stand, and a hot pot dinner. The ordinary days are the gift.
- [Top Team Competition](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/top-team-competition) (2026-05-03): Four houses, three games, and one trophy. A Mairangi Bay family afternoon at the school sports day, and what siblings sharing a house quietly teaches.
- [A Slow Long weekend](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/a-slow-long-weekend) (2026-04-26): ANZAC long weekend in Auckland — Westgate sales, an old friend's family over for dinner, and a small basil plant we named YuBaba.
- [Term 2, A New Beginning](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/term-2-a-new-beginning) (2026-04-21): A Year 1 child's first week of Term 2, three small phrases practised on the way to school, and what calm looks like in a parent.
- [A Quiet Week Before the Break Ends](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/a-quiet-week-before-the-break-ends) (2026-04-19): The last week of school holidays — a thesis chapter, a mall day with friends, and the quiet meals that held it together.
- [ The Fox, the Storm, and the Bread Bowl ](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/the-fox-the-storm-and-the-bread-bowl) (2026-04-12): Cyclone Vaianu passed over Auckland this week. Life in between: meals, library books, and a little fox read over and over.
- [Tricky Egg Hunt for Easter](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/tricky-egg-hunt-for-easter) (2026-04-05): How we turned Easter into a four-stage treasure hunt for our three girls in Mairangi Bay — eggs, book clues, hidden sentences, and a movie at the end.
- [Night Market Tuesdays](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/night-market-tuesdays) (2026-03-30): Auckland has a night market running every night of the week. Here's why Tuesday's Albany market is our family favourite, and the full weekly schedule.
- [Sun Bathe, Rain Shower ](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/between-sunshine-and-gale-force) (2026-03-29): An outdoor day, a 33-hour storm, and giant bubbles in the backyard. A very New Zealand kind of week.
- [Back-to-School Shopping](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/education-001) (2026-01-08): Schools in New Zealand start the new academic year in early February. M is moving up to intermediate school, and H will be in Year 6. Year 1 enrollment timing varies depending on the child's birthday.
- [Year 6 Graduation](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/girls-004) (2025-12-14): M graduates Year 6 in a foreign land—certificates, a graduation disco, and the bittersweet moment of watching our first child step into intermediate school.
- [Basketball Tuesdays](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/girls-003) (2025-12-10): Our eldest joined a basketball team with no coach and barely knew the rules. Two terms later, medals and a first goal worth remembering—Dad coached them all the way.
- [Playground Wonderland](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/girls-001) (2025-11-30): How New Zealand playgrounds changed the way I think about childhood—towering rope gyms, barefoot kids, and watching my three girls grow brave in a new world.
- [School Festival](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/girls-002) (2025-04-09): Our daughters ran the only kid-operated booth at school festival, writing names in Hangul. A story of creativity, Korean culture, and community in Auckland.

### Travelers

- [A Day at Ruakākā Beach](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/locals-002) (2026-01-03): A summer fishing day at Ruakākā Beach with two families—undersized catches, a protected octopus, sashimi on the sand, and kids who were the real reason to be there.

### Local Guide

- [[Library Tour] Glenfield Library ](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/library-tour-glenfield-library) (2026-04-22): Auckland's first enclosed mall sits right next door, the children's section is generous, and the Korean Bookchat meets in its own quiet corner.
- [IKEA NZ — Grown-ups Also Dream at IKEA](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/ikea-nz-grown-ups-also-dream-at-ikea) (2026-04-20): Småland rules, parking tips, NZ-only menu items, and what to know before your first visit to IKEA Auckland at Sylvia Park.
- [[Library Tour] Albany Village Library](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/library-tour-albany-village-library) (2026-04-13): Auckland's libraries are free, connected, and genuinely child-friendly. Our go-to is Albany Village — easy parking, peaceful park and playground.
- [Families in Parks — Summer Fun](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/families-in-parks-summer-fun) (2026-04-05): We stumbled across a Kaipatiki Community Facilities Trust pop-up at Marlborough Park on Easter Monday — giant games, free entry, no booking needed.
- [Orewa Surf Sounds 2026 — Fireworks at Shore](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/orewa-surf-sounds-2026-fireworks-at-shore) (2026-04-03): Free fireworks, food trucks, and live music at Orewa Beach. What to know about parking, the best spot to watch, and what to bring with kids.
- [Auckland CulturalFest: In a Mingling World](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/locals-001) (2025-11-30): A graduate student's day at Auckland CulturalFest—Māori youth performers, a Korean booth, and what it means to truly mingle in a multicultural city.

## Magazine issues (4)

- [Next Steps — Mar 2026](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-03)
- [Celebrations — Feb 2026](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-02): Cheers on Every Fresh Start
- [SUMMER DAYS — Jan 2026](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-01)
- [CHRISTMAS WISHES — Dec 2025](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2025-12)

## Magazine articles (12)

- [REVIEW: The Witches](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-03/review-the-witches)
- [LUNCHBOXES](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-03/lunchboxes)
- [Hej! IKEA NZ](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-03/hej-ikea-nz)
- [Mum's Note](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-03/mum-s-note)
- [Little Notes](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-03/little-notes)
- [Arcade & Windsor Park](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-02/arcade-windsor-park)
- [Up the Coast: Matakana-Omaha](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-02/up-the-coast-matakana-omaha)
- [Waitangi Day](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-02/waitangi-day)
- [First Day](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-02/first-day)
- [J's Birthday](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-02/j-s-birthday)
- [Little Notes](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-02/little-notes)
- [Mum's Note](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-02/mum-s-note)

## Mairangi Notes — newsletter issues (8)

- [Issue #8 — Mairangi Notes #8 Small Shifts Closing May](https://www.mhj.nz/mairangi-notes/8) (2026-05-29): Everybody grows
- [Issue #7 — Summery Days, Wintry Nights](https://www.mhj.nz/mairangi-notes/7) (2026-05-22): Time to get the blankets out
- [Issue #6 — Mairangi Notes #6 Where the Sun Feels Precious](https://www.mhj.nz/mairangi-notes/6) (2026-05-15): Stay warm, stay kind
- [Issue #5 — Happy mothers, happy families](https://www.mhj.nz/mairangi-notes/5) (2026-05-08)
- [Issue #4 — Mairangi Notes #4 Falling Leaves, Long Sleeves](https://www.mhj.nz/mairangi-notes/4) (2026-05-02): Stay warm, Autumn is here.
- [Issue #3 — Mairangi Notes #3 Term 2, already](https://www.mhj.nz/mairangi-notes/3) (2026-04-24): Back to school, back to rhythm!
- [Issue #2 — Mairangi Notes #2 How was your weather?](https://www.mhj.nz/mairangi-notes/2) (2026-04-17)
- [Issue #1 — Mairangi Notes #1 — Hello, strangers! ](https://www.mhj.nz/mairangi-notes/1) (2026-04-09): Very first little chatter from Mairangi Bay.

## Other pages

- [About](https://www.mhj.nz/about)
- [StoryPress](https://www.mhj.nz/storypress)
- [Gallery](https://www.mhj.nz/gallery)
- [Media kit](https://www.mhj.nz/media-kit)