|
Kia ora koutou,
‘Ngahuru, kura kai, kura tangata’
harvest-time, wealth of food, the wealth of people
The last few stormy, cold days have definitely let us know that Hōtoke/Winter is on the way. Ngahuru/Autumn is a time of harvest and nourishment. Our Term 2 programme includes professional development opportunities around Matariki, a tikanga wānanga in Lower Hutt, and events around supporting active travel action in your schools.
Term One has proved to be a season of change for our team. We have fondly farewelled an amazing facilitator and friend, Micheline Evans, who has joined the Biodiversity team at Greater Wellington Regional Council. Read more about Micheline below. Our talented Arihia Latham has stepped up to facilitate most of the schools in Wellington City and Lower Hutt, and Michelle Ducat will be supporting four additional schools in Lower Hutt.
Our 2017 Nationwide Census results are about to be released. This has been a huge effort on the part of our network of Enviroschools - mihi nui to you all! To our council partners, we would like to present the results to staff and councillors over the next few months so we’ll be in touch.
To all our marvelous schools, may your Term break be full of nourishment and restfulness.
Ngā mihi nui,
Dana
|
|
|
Reflection for Progress Workshop
Friday 11 May
Location to be confirmed
This workshop is an opportunity for Enviroschools wanting to reflect on their Enviroschools journey to learn more about the Enviroschools Holistic Reflection Process.
Downlad a flyer here or register here
Active Travel Professional Development
Wednesday 16 May 3.30-5.30pm (Boulcott School, Lower Hutt)
Thursday 17 May 3.30 - 5.30pm (Clyde Quay School, Wellington)
An opportunity to meet your active travel planners and have a taste of the new active travel teaching resource from Enviroschools and Greater Wellington Regional Council.
email Arihia.Latham@gmail.com to register
Tikanga Māori Wānanga
Saturday 19 - Sunday 20 May
Te Tatau o te Pō Marae
It is great to have so many teachers coming to engage with Taranaki Whānui at Te Tatau o te Pō Marae marae. This noho will unpack tikanga in a school context . We are so grateful to the iwi for their support and knowledge.
Exploring Enviroschools Workshop
Friday 7 September
The Dowse Lower Hutt
An introduction to Education for Sustainability and the Enviroschools Kaupapa for schools, teachers, principles or BOT representatives new to the enviroschools programme.
Download a flyer here or register here
|
|
Totara Park School are enjoying a bumper of a harvest
|
|
A-green-ment to look after Papatūanuku
|
|
|
|
Clifton Terrace Model School students started 2018 by signing "Agreenments" or pledges to look after the earth.
The Agreenments were prepared last year. Each class came up with key statements which explained how they believed they needed to act. The student envirogroup, The Green Geckos, then gathered the statements from each class, refined them, then put together the final Agreenment. Ka mau te wehi!
|
|
Marine Metre Squared Citizen Science Project workshops
|
|
|
Flight of Pollen - Game Day Event
|
|
|
Reading, Writing and .... Rat- Trapping?!
|
|
|
Primary and secondary students from the Wairarapa returned to Pukaha in February to refresh their tracking and trapping skills, and in some cases, the traps themselves! Read about their experience here
The traps are used in their schools to catch rats and mice, and are sometimes loaned out to the school community, with advice and support from these experienced students. Any pests caught are recorded on the popular citizen science platform, Nature Watch using the iNaturalist app.
|
|
|
Mayor helps to celebrate ECEs Bronze Reflections
|
|
|
Masterton Mayor Lyn Patterson, came along to present the Bronze Enviroschool certificates to Makoura Community Early Childhood Centre and Pohutukawa Early Learning Centre in February. She was surprised and delighted by how well informed and well connected the tamariki are across the width of the Enviroschool’s kaupapa. Read more here
|
|
|
|
Sustainability is embedded at Makoura CECC – food growing, careful water play, independent waste sorting and looking after their streets and stream with regular litter walks.
Congratulations on becoming a Bronze enviroschool!
|
|
|
Congratulations to Pohutukawa Early Learning Centre on becoming a Bronze Enviroschool.
As part of their Forest School programme students are empowered with experiences and knowledge in this centre to think about and act for our environment.
|
|
|
Eastern Hutt School - go for gold!
|
|
|
|
Eastern Hutt School celebrated becoming a Green Gold Enviroschool in Term 4, 2017. Read here about how thinking sustainably and acting responsibly to create change in their environment has been embedded into their school vision.
|
|
|
Wellingon City's first Silver ECE!
|
|
|
|
Daisies Early Education & Care Centre became the first Silver ECE in Wellington City in December 2017. They have been trailblazing as a leader of sustainable practices in ECE in our region since their centre was set up in 2009. Ka wāni kē !
|
|
|
Double Bronze for Khandallah
|
|
|
|
There must have been some powerful energy around Khandallah in term 4 last year as both St Benedict’s and Khandallah School became Bronze Enviroschools! Both schools have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability and have awesome projects underway.
|
|
|
|
Kelson Kindergarten has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to deepening their practices and working with families. It was a real joy to have the opportunity to reflect at the Silver stage on their last few years of work and see the passion the team have for this kaupapa.
|
|
|
What did you enjoy the most about being part of Enviroschools?
There is so much to love about this role. The teachers that I have had the privilege of working with have been so inspiring.
When I was teaching I felt constantly overwhelmed by the size of the job. I’m always impressed with the amazing things teachers do with their students despite being under enormous pressure.
I also had the most passionate and caring team and the most thoughtful and intelligent boss anyone could want.
What sustainability issues / aspects are you personally passionate about?
What gets me most excited is learning about and experiencing the natural environment. Whether it’s turning over a rock in your garden, going for a bush walk or snorkelling, there are always going to be things you’ve never noticed before if you look hard enough
How do you recharge?
Swimming in the ocean is the best kind of recharge I can imagine.
|
|
What's the most important lesson you've learned in the last year?
I’ve been thinking a bit about how change happens. Change is inevitable and will happen regardless of what we do, but positive change usually doesn’t happen without a few feathers being ruffled.
Women didn’t get the vote in New Zealand overnight - a lot of people worked really hard and fought against very vocal opponents. Now we accept women having the right to vote as a no brainer. It’s important to remember that it wasn’t always that way.
Perhaps one day we’ll realise that fair trade is a no-brainer. That everyone deserves to work for a wage they can live off, and to work in an environment which is not detrimental to their health.
I guess the lesson here that if I’m not ruffling at least a few feathers, I’m probably not working hard enough.
What super power would you like to have?
I have always really wanted to be able to breathe underwater.
|
|
Matariki atua ka eke mai i te rangi e roa ē
Whāngainga iho ki te mata o te tau e roa ē
Divine Matariki, come forth from the far off heaven,
Bestow the first fruits of the year upon us
There are many whakataukī associated with Matariki which draw on traditional wisdom of Te Ao Māori largely making reference to the tohu/signs in the environment that influence and guide priorities for the people.
We are approaching the season of Matariki, a time for slowing down, doing less (where possible and if we are mindful of this!) A time for wānanga, a time to reflect on the year past and plan for the year ahead.
|
|
|
World Fair Trade Day
Saturday 12 May
World Fair Trade Day is an inclusive worldwide festival of events celebrating Fair Trade as a tangible contribution to the fight against poverty, climate change and unfair practices in supply chains.
This years theme is
‘Live fair, one Fair Trade product at a time’
Check out these Fair Trade Association resources or these tips on running a Fair Trade event to raise awareness
|
|
|
|
Visit plasticfreejuly.org for lots of inspiring ideas and resources to help you and your school community commit to and celebrate choosing to refuse single-use plastic this July.
|
|
|
|
|
Downlad the 2018 Sustainability Calendar here for links to plan lessons and activities around Education for Sustainability dates and events.
|
|
|
Stream testing kits, Student Transport Grants and Kaitiaki Project Grants
GWRC Student Transport Grants are available to subsidise student transport by bus or train for schools using the Stream Health Assessment Kits. It can also be used for field trips associated with the Whitebait Connection, Healthy Harbours Porirua and Experiencing Marine Reserves programmes.
The grant is offered on a sliding scale based on school decile. Decile 1-4 schools are eligible for funding to cover 90% of transport costs, decile 5-7 are eligible for funding to cover 70% and decile 8-10 are eligible for funding to cover 50%. Each school is eligible for funding of up to $500 per year.
Visit GWRC for more information.
The kaitiaki grant can be used to cover the costs associated with their time, and/or materials for projects such as plants or materials, for up to $500 per school per year. This can be used for schools involved with Mountains to Sea Wellington, Enviroschools or similar programmes focusing on biodiversity, freshwater or marine issues. Email micheline.evans@gw.govt.nz for more information.
|
|
|
|
|
