Waikato schools and early childhood centres have got projects galore! Here's just a few of the ones that have been documented lately...
The Waikato Enviroschools Parade was a great success with schools across the Waikato celebrating their enviroschools journey and showcasing their amazing art work and costumes
If you missed the parade you can still come join us at the Children's Parade Exhibition opening 11am saturday 20th of December at the Waikato Museum
See the flyer with more details here
River Rush is a digital game created by Waikato-Tainui to educate tamariki about various environmental issues. The game promotes the care of natural resources including flora and fauna, fish life and water quality.
The story is based on Tama and Poppy who embark on a journey of the awa and complete a series of quests set by their Nanny Wai to help restore the health and well being of the awa.
Developed to provide a fun learning experience for our tamariki, the goal of River Rush is to share the Waikato-Tainui story of our tupuna awa with the world.
Watch the promo trailer below! River Rush is compatible on Apple and Android devices.
This year Horotiu School joined schools and community groups across the Waikato in the Annual tree planting for Arbor Day at Waiwhakareke Reserve, see full story on Horotiu School's website
Room six at Kiokoio School have started their Enviroschools Journey this year by focusing on two important issues, reducing their waste products and sustaining the environment for future generations. Awesome work Room six! check out their amazing slideshow that showcases their work on this link to their school blog.
Brittany Stewart from MishMash TV visited Cambridge Primary School recently and talked to members of the Enviro Team about what they are doing in and around their school, and what they enjoy most about being part of the Enviro Team.
Its official, Raglan Kindergarten is a bronze enviroschool. On Monday 1st July the kindy held a small celebration to mark this achievement. Teachers, parents, children and representatives from community groups were invited to be part of the celebration. And by the sounds of it Raglan Kindy is well on the way to Silver.
photos courtesy of raglan23.co.nz
Kuranui School has taken on an AMAZING wai project! The students have been working closely with staff from Waikato Regional Council to develop a long-term plan to clean up the section of the Waiomou Stream that borders their school and neighbouring farms. Already the students have learnt why the existing willow trees and other non-native species were damaging the stream, have observed the removal of these pesky trees and, along with volunteers from the local community, have planted 600 native trees that will help to keep the waterway clean and pollution-free by stabilising the banks and limiting erosion, sediment deposits and nutrient runoff. This project contributes to the objectives of the Kaimai Catchments Project, which aims to limit pollution flowing into the Firth of Thames. The task now for Kuranui School students is to keep the area weed-free and to plant a further 200 trees
Kuranui school children planting along the riverbank as part of their Waiomou Clean Stream project.
Congratulations to Newcastle Kindergarten – the first Waikato kindergarten to achieve bronze status under the new reflective process (St Andrews Kindergarten achieved bronze a few years ago under the criteria system). More on their Kindergarten can be found here.
Peter Peeti, Maori Television's celebrity chef, travels the country to showcase the rich natural resources of Aotearoa. In this episode, Kai Time is in Kirikiriroa to check out the fresh fruit and vegetables on offer at Rhode Street School.
Check out the video here:
The efforts of more than 180 students over the past five years has seen Hukunui School receive a Green Ribbon Award for Community Action for the Environment.
The Student Working Party of Hukanui Primary School in Hamilton designed, funded and built an eco-classroom it calls ‘The Living Room'. The project idea was conceived and driven by students, with more than 180 children involved in every aspect of the project.
The Living Room was developed as an ecologically-sound building and has also created a working laboratory for the students. A water tank that captures the majority of the rainwater from the roof will supply the garden and a high efficiency wood burner enfolded in earth walls will supplement the passive warmth of a thick floor slab. Below the floor slab are three different forms of thermal insulation (polystyrene, recycled glass and volcanic pumice) so the students can monitor the effectiveness of these different insulation materials.
The Living Room started as a small idea that developed into a significant education project. By "owning" the project and being involved at every stage students gained valuable skills, not only in sustainable building and resource efficiency, but also more broadly in research, communication, decision-making and critical thinking.
Their work on planning, designing and building New Zealand's first ecological classroom is an amazing achievement and shows how the process is just as important as the final product.
Updates about Hukanui School's Living room can be read on their school blogsite.
Check out this video to see what Hukunui has been up to over the past few years as an Enviroschool.
I was greeted with a hive of activity when recently visiting Hamilton North School in Warwick Avenue. The school, with the help and guidance of the ‘no dig’ gardens people had recently completed their raised vegetable gardens – and today was planting day! The gardens have been designed specifically to meet the needs of students in wheelchairs as well as those more physically able. The vegetable gardens are part of a greater vision to create an interactive sustainable garden for the students and community of Hamilton North School.
Tony Kane, principal of Hamilton North said that he and his staff had bounced around the idea of becoming an enviroschool for about five years but after attending an information evening in Term 4 of 2007 they felt that the time was right. Hamilton North School is a school which caters for students with special needs from five to twenty one years of age. The school offers a functional curriculum designed for students who have needs that cannot be met by the regular school curriculum.
After gathering input from their students, the staff collectively developed a large ‘visual pathway’ towards their goal, dividing the seemingly overwhelming vision into smaller achievable portions within a timeline. The creation of this ‘map’ of their projected journey enabled staff to work with the students on key aspects of the greater project. It also meant that funding applications could be tailored to distinct mini projects within the bigger scheme. Teachers worked collaboratively to put together successful applications to the Hamilton City Council Envirofund, and the Environment Waikato Enviroschools fund (as well as others either in the pipeline or unsuccessful!).
Stage one of the project involved shifting the fence from its existing site to about 15 metres into an area that was previously occupied but unused by neighbouring school St Andrews Middle School.
One of the features of this acquired plot was a small hill. This became the central point of a path the school developed in stage two. The pathway opened up this area to those in wheel chairs or able to use the variety of bikes that the school has recently supplied for their students.
Over the wet winter months students were busy creating mosaic tiles. These were recently placed in concrete, and add a bright, fun aspect to this area. The winter months also provided an unexpected bonus for those students who loved playing in mud! The pathway, prior to the laying of pavers became a haven to the mud enthusiasts!
It was great to see the results of a year of hard work reaping obvious benefits, observing the kids racing around the track on their bikes and planting vegetables and then watering (the power of hose possession is mighty). Still to be added to the raised gardens is a seating arrangement alongside, where students that are generally confined to wheelchairs can slide from their chairs onto the garden seats.
Other projects planned include getting the compost worm farms up and running, and developing an orchard that will provide a selection of fruit for the school community through all seasons. A trip to the Sustainable Backyard for the older students is being organised.
One of the passionate teachers of this school, Elizabeth Hassan, commented that they have noticed that having more space outside has had a positive influence on the children. Teacher Robyn Jerebine was thrilled that the development of the gardens has created interest amongst their parents and whanau. Families have shown an interest in what is happening, have come to open days and Robyn sees this as helping to develop a sense of ownership and belonging. Another teacher, Michele Smith mentioned that one of the next stages in the development of their sustainable school was to develop a greater level of inclusiveness.
Robyn Irving
