Eye on Nature Video

 Follow this link to see some familiar faces from the Eye on Nature Day:

Eye On Nature Video Link

Eco Warriors Celebrate and Plan Ahead

 

Today our Eco Warriors reflected on a successful term.  The highlights were Eye On Nature and our Greengold Reflection.  

Next, we unwrapped the koha given at our GreenGold Reflection.  Thank you to Susan for the lovely pukapuka of plays and games.  We planned where to plant our new kawakawa and titioki trees. We proudly read the feedback given by Cate and Susan about our Reflection Day.

Lastly, we planned what we'd like to do next term:

- stormwater sleuths

- perform the plays given by Susan and video for assembly

- set rat traps

- planting and weeding

Our Green Gold Reflection

 On Friday 31st March Wakaaranga had our Green Gold Reflection.

What an amazing Day!!!

We were able to showcase all the amazing things that have happened at our Greengold Enviroschool since our last reflection in 2018.

Here is what Cate Jessep our Sustainable Schools Advisor had to say....

Congratulations Christine and Mary-Lu on your renewed Green Gold status,

 

What a wonderful celebration of a huge amount of sustainable mahi it was.

I mihi to you both for your continued collaborative leadership and commitment to facilitating Enviroschools action mahi, and particularly the creative way you weave EFS through learning at Wakaaranga through all your programs, so all your staff and students are onboard the Wakaaranga Waka all paddling together, including your property manager who used recycled timber for your whare heihei.

How you BE as well as what you DO is so empowering consequently your students spoke well, particularly the reflection team and you have some fabulous short medium and long-term next steps to look forward to as you continue your sustainability journey 

 

 Please thank everyone involved; all your staff, in particular teachers, teacher aides, students, Caroline, Wendy, and Jonathan for their commitment and daily mahi puku (work from the heart & gut) that was so evident when students showed us the Mahi going on in their rooms. It is inspiring to see and hear your students sharing their sustainable action learning and how excited they are about the shifts that have occurred since 2018 and how engaging and relevant it is for them and why. You are such a great example of a whole school working together for a sustainable future and having FUN doing it.

 

 On behalf of our team Susan Frazer Ross and myself thank you for hosting us so beautifully this morning and sharing so generously at your Green Gold Review.

Thank you too for how you all manaakitanga-ed us and made us feel welcome and special from our arrival to departure.. (and a special thanks to Tiziano’s for his final speech Thank you for a jar of your waka honey in particular).

We are so blessed to have you on our Enviroschools waka Sincere thanks to each of our team too  for your presence  and your input and suggestions today, you are wonderful supporters and empowerers)

 

Go well with your new next steps at Wakaaranga and enjoy the next stage of your Enviroschools Journey

 

Ngā mihi nui

Cate

Cate Jessep  Sustainable Schools Advisor

This is what the Susan the Regional Cooridinator had to say:

Kia Ora koutou,

 

E tauatoko ana au tō kōrero mahana Cate. I fully agree with you Cate, what a fabulous first experience for me at the beautiful kura o Wakaaranga.

I was particularly impressed by the warmth of your welcome, your manaakitanga, the respectful and engaged students who met us in their classroooms, and the patient, kind, responsible and courteous students who lead our tour of the school.

 

Your whole school approach is evident in abundance, and it reaches wide into the community, with your strong links to Sunnyhills School and Farm Cove Kindergarten. I’m very excited to see what this collaboration will bring.

 

The rousing rendition of Tutira Mai at the close of our visit made my heart sing. Your school exemplifies the Enviroschools kauapapa of creating a healthy, peaceful and Sustainable world through learning and taking action together.

 

Please pass this message on to all the staff who make Wakaaranga so wonderful. Have a smooth and delightful last week of term, and rejuvenating and restorative Easter holidays.

 

Ngā mihi nui

We are so proud of all our mahi and can't wait to get onto the next steps that we co-created at the end of the refleciton:

• Develop bravery with speaking out.

• Continue to share our mahi with others.

• Extend use of karakia to include karakia mo te kai and leaving whakataukī.

• Keep investigating forms of energy - solar panels on any new builds.

• Make an Eco tour of the school with signage for self direction.

• Complete our Lizard Lounge and create new habitats for native flora and fauna.

• Bug sanctuary to encourage insects including edible flowers.

• Extend our native ngahere, and include a rongoā garden

• Continue the Howick Pest Free Cadetship