Te Kaupapari

We have got many enviro initiatives going on  in the school to start the year, with more to  come. Here is a snapshot of what is happening  so far: The Eco-Warriors have started working towards the our TREEmendous outdoor learning area event  to be held on the 8th and 9th of May. They are currently designing some of the elements of the space,  including a creative water wheel. The school has committed to communicating digitally with families, which is a great way to  drastically reduce paper and ink use in our school, saving money and easing pressure on the  resources of our planet. Tupuranga students are taking ownership of their vegetable gardens and have started off by planting  seeds to grow in their gardens. Growing kai is a great way to develop our hauora: our physical, mental  and emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. Room 9 had a great time  digging up potatoes last  week and enjoyed a potato  feast. ...

Our newest arrivals to Stanhope, the students in Room 2, have been doing some gardening this term. They have removed our old pea vines, planted some cherry tomatoes and basil, sowed some seeds, enjoyed using the watering cans and harvested some broccoli. We tasted the broccoli both raw and cooked and the verdict was that it was more delicious when cooked – the students polished off a huge bowl of plain steamed broccoli! Everyone tried it and only a few children decided it wasn’t for them and many came back for second helpings. Vegetables are more appealing and so much tastier when you’ve grown them yourself! Are you growing any vegetables in your garden at home? Enviroschools Principles in action here: -  Empowered Students   are enabled to participate in a meaningful way in the life of their early childhood centre or school. Their unique perspectives are valued for the knowledge and insight that they bring, and they are supported to take action for real change. ...

We have been enjoying the fruits of our labour in the  garden recently. The loquat tree has been extremely popular, with its  sweet and juicy yellow fruit drawing crowds during  break times. We have also been harvesting lettuce, spinach, celery, snow peas,  broccoli, cabbages, beetroots, kale, silverbeet and carrots to share  with some of our whanau. Labour weekend is the traditional time to plant tomatoes in New  Zealand, so Whakatōtanga and Tupuranga students have been busy  getting our cherry tomato plants into the ground and we can’t wait  for a delicious harvest when we get back to school after the summer holidays. It’s a great time of year for our students to be getting  outside and working in the garden! Enviroschools Principles in action here: -  Empowered Students   are enabled to participate in a meaningful way in the life of their early childhood centre or school. Their unique perspectives are valued for the...

In Whakatōtanga in terms 1 to 3 2019, the Room 9 Garden Club has grown, harvested and eaten a number of vegetables and fruits. The students pulled a large radish out of the garden. They all pulled  together just like in the story, ‘The Gigantic Turnip’! The Garden Club also harvested some celery, sugar snap peas and salad leaves to take home to share with their whanau. We enjoyed harvesting our kumara in autumn, it was like digging for buried treasure! One of the kumara was the biggest kumara we had ever seen. We loved eating the kumara chips, they were delicious. Enviroschools Principles in action here: -  Empowered Students   are enabled to participate in a meaningful way in the life of their early childhood centre or school. Their unique perspectives are valued for the knowledge and insight that they bring, and they are supported to take action for real change. - The principle of  Learning for Sustainability  recognises the types of teaching and l...