“The visions we have for the future affect what we think is worth doing in the present”
In term one this year the Redwoodtown Kindergarten teaching team set about creating an Enviroschools vision. They considered what was important to them, the tamariki, whānau and community. Some of the actions that they identified after brainstorming around the Enviroschools Guiding Principles were to strengthen their community relationships, create more gardens and set up a koha table - a place to share produce and kai. To say that it has been a busy year for the team would be an understatement. They have worked hard to make these goals become a reality.
Mara Kai
Having been growing kai in a...
Read More Angela hosted a small group of enthusiastic Te Kura students in the Backyard Garden at Pollard Park at the beginning of the term.
Thankfully Tamanuiterā had melted the frost and warmed the garden making it the ideal place to observe the changes in season and investigate the types of vegetables that enjoy the cooler temperatures of autumn and winter. They found spinach, broad beans, parsley, spring onions, kale, cauliflower, silver beet and beetroot, taste testing some of the leaves as they went. They discovered that the tender young leaves of the broad beans can be eaten, these taste very similar to broccoli. To their delight they also discovered eating enough of the leaves turns...
Read More Term 4 and 1 are always favourites in the Kids Edible Gardens calendar as there is so much to harvest. There is nothing better than fresh peas, broad beans (and their leaves), crunchy lettuce and broccoli eaten in the garden. School kitchens get a work out too – vegetable fritters and stir-fry’s are whipped up and lettuce wraps are folded. Apples cooked into crumbles or roasted potatoes have everyone’s mouth watering. As well as an oldie but a goodie, pikelets with cream and fresh berries from the garden. Once the children at Picton School have finished their gardening jobs they aim to deliver vegetables to the Picton School Kitchen to be used in their school...
Read More Students from the KEGs (Kids Edible Gardens) were keen to grow kumara to share with the school at their annual hangi next year. It started a journey of discovery and learning as they prepared kumara to grow tipu in term 3.
They joined forces with Reuben Molnar from Te Whatu Ora. He had worked with students from Marlborough Boys College growing kumara at the Marlborough Community gardens last year. The boys harvested over 90 kg of kumara! The Bohally School students were interested to hear from Reuben how they had used Māori Mātauranga that Reuben had learnt from mana whenua to grow their kumara. Unfortunately the method the Bohally School students had used to grow...
Read More Keen to introduce more science concepts into your classroom? Angela will share her tips and tricks to successfully raise seed with your students to transplant into your Kids Edible Gardens (KEGs). She will also cover the process of germination, what a seed looks like inside, some of the reasons why a seed may not germinate or survive to planting out stage as well as easy science experiments that explore plant growth. You will come away with a seasonal seed raising chart that includes beneficial flowers and herbs for companion planting. Thursday 7 September 3.30 - 5 pm Join us early at 3.15 pm for coffee and cake before the mini workshop begins. Venue to be confirmed Email angela@wenties.nz to register...
Read More The 2023 International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) theme is truly a collaborative and international effort. This year, we teamed up with the International Compost Alliance (ICA) to select: For Healthier Soil, Healthier Food…Compost! The theme was chosen based on a serious world-wide issue that every nation, unfortunately, experiences: hunger. https://www.compostfoundation.org/ICAW/ICAW-Home...
Read More Come along and learn about how to set up a successful compost or worm farm.
Thursday 23th March
Tua Marina School 3.30 – 5 pm. Join us from 3.10 pm for coffee and cake before we start. To register please RSVP to Angela angela@wenties.nz...
Read More Our term one Sustainable Action Ideas newsletter explores the Enviroschools Guiding Principle of Respect for the Diversity of People and Cultures.
It highlights some of the changes we have made to the delivery of the programme as well as some ideas for taking action. On page four you will also find this terms PLD opportunities and awareness dates. Click here to access our online Padlets to view this newsletter and previous ones....
Read More Initially organised for the beginning of the year to kick start our focus on Sustainable Communities, it was great to finally see this workshop take place in term 4. Tamanuitera shone, though Tawhirimatea made his presence known, and we were able to start in the Kids Edible Gardens of Blenheim School talking about some of the companion plants we could see growing and nibbling on the new leaves of the prolific broad beans.
Identify
Getting down to the nitty gritty we identified what a Sustainable Community could look like. We found that in building a Sustainable Community we are also building our hauora as we connect with nature and foster relationships with people around us.
Explore
Kids...
Read More Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement to make time outdoors part of every child’s day. On two days of action each year, teachers take children outdoors to play and learn. All year round, the Outdoor Classroom Day community campaigns for more time outdoors every day....
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