Learning about the Maramataka with Year Toru

 Year Rua researched the Maramataka today so we can plan what to plant in our Mara Kai next week.

🦎 Sharing Our Lizard Lounge Learning

 

Our Year 5's shared their Lizard Lounge plans with Ms Von, Charlie Dog & Mr Dowden & . They agreed to go ahead with this work. Hooray!

Mrs Murray is going lead a specialist art group to help enhance the area too.

Inter Generational Korero on Climate

 Year Six have been looking into climate change.  We had korero with our whanau to discover their experiences with climate. We loved hearing about their childhoods.

Devarsh's Research

Planting kumara in koanga for Matariki

 We're learning about when is best to plant kai. If we want kumara for our Matariki feast in ngahuru (autumn), we need to plant them in koanga (spring).

We can't wait to see them grow!

Eco Warriors Continue Defending Waka

 

Today, our Eco Warriors contiued the work they began with Ethan from Pest Free Howick. We set rat traps around the compost. Next week we're going to check the traps & hunt down pest plants.

Do you have rat traps in your garden to protect the birds? Contact Pestfree Howick if you'd like some traps.

Our year 1's being Kaitiakitanga

 Caring for our environment is something that is very important to our

 school and our students. Here our year 1's doing the Mahi

And finally....

 All that hard work planting earlier in the year has paid off and now we get to harvest our takurua (winter) broad beans! 

Our year 1's were so excited to pick and eat. 

Today we also learned about the Maramataka (Maori Lunar Calendar). Koanga (spring) is a time for new planting and growth. Next, we're going to plant turnips.

from this.....

to this...

Acting to help Bumblebees

 

Last week Year Two learnt about bumblebees.  We found out that some flowers can only be pollinated by fuzzy bumblebees.  

We surveyed our school and found 14 different types of flowers in the Senses Garden and ten other types around the school.  Bees need lots of different flowers for a healthy diet; just like us. So our bees at Wakaaranga have lots to eat in koanga (spring).

We wondered how else we could help the bees.  We decided to make a bumblebee house in the planter boxes that are too shady to grow anything.

To make our bumble bee home we gathered:

- a terracotta flower pot

- chicken wire

- 30cm hose with holes in 

- stones

- a tile

- hay, moss of a mouse nest for bedding

Student Voice

 This is what our Year Rima Akonga had to say about Education for Sustainability:

What is the best thing about EFS?

• We get to do fun activities at every session. 

• We get to play kahoot. 

• The best thing about EFS is saving the planet. 

• Best thing about this is that you get to work with others to create a happier healthier environment

• we get to learn outside

• learning about sustainability and raising awareness about the environment and Climate Change and how we can help.

• learning about climate change and how we can change our ways for the greater good

• learning about how we can change the environment and the different ways we can save our world This best thing about EFS is that we can learn valuable life lessons that can change the world

• we're having fun, you can work with your friends 

• We get to learn about the environment and brainstorm Solutions

How do you think EFS improves your learning?

• Informed us about World wide problems, what we can do and how we can do a little bit to make a change.  It also creates a learning space where we can discuss important problems that will affect our day-to-day lives.

•  NZ I've learnt and tried things and I did not know about the environment

•  EFS improves my learning by teaching us stainable 

•  EFS teachers need to be aware of my waste

•   by learning about sustainability and caring for the other species and the environment

• We have learnt that we need to change our ways of how we recycle and reduce our waste

•  yes, I have learnt about climate change and we have gone outside and planted trees

•  has improved my learning because I know that we can help save the world,  the insects and the animals

Has EFS motivated you and your family to change your habits of recycling or environmental issues, sustainability  etc? 

• Yes,  now we always Reece aisle and look for an alternative

•  yes our families now do litter free lunches and have started making our own compost

•  motivated me to recycle more.  I tell my I tell my dad to litter

•  yes,  we now have a worm farm

•  yes our family now has much less waste

•  Yes,  I use honey wax wraps.  we have reduced our rubbish

Anything additional you would like to say about EFS? 

• EFS  has been very interesting and I think lots more schools should learn about EFS

•  I think we should encourage more schools in New Zealand to learn aboutEFS

•  he would like to say how good we like doing hands-on lessons,  like Putting around the school because it gets you out of the classroom nature where you can explore and have fun

•  it is amazing,  I love every lesson and I love the kahoots. 

•  I think it teaches people to be sustained and I love them

•  Itis really fun

•  I wish we could be more because I love learning about sustainability and I really want to make a bird home next year in year 6