Our EnviroschoolsOur Enviroschools Silver Award Silver Award

Reflection Day at Reflection Day at Wakaaranga SchoolWakaaranga School

Introducing the day of our reflection Introducing the day of our reflection for a Silver Awardfor a Silver Award

► To begin the day Cate To begin the day Cate Jessep talked to us Jessep talked to us about the purpose of about the purpose of the day and the the day and the programme. Patrick programme. Patrick Smith told our visitors Smith told our visitors about our schools about our schools name, our school name, our school vision, values and the vision, values and the six paddles using our six paddles using our school banner. school banner.

What does it mean to be an What does it mean to be an enviroschool?enviroschool?

► Hannah Williams outlined Hannah Williams outlined the five guiding principles the five guiding principles of enviroschools and the of enviroschools and the four key areas for learning four key areas for learning about sustainability. She about sustainability. She discussed the vision discussed the vision statement for our school statement for our school and showed our vision and showed our vision map with the things that map with the things that we had completed for our we had completed for our environment. environment.

Empowered StudentsEmpowered Students

► Tara talked about the Tara talked about the activities in the photos that activities in the photos that show what we have done show what we have done as empowered students at as empowered students at our school.our school.

► Empowered students are Empowered students are students who have their students who have their own opinions and own opinions and perspectives, make perspectives, make decisions and take action decisions and take action for the environment. for the environment.

Maori PerspectivesMaori Perspectives► Nicholas told us that Maori Nicholas told us that Maori

perspectives enrich our perspectives enrich our learning and honour the learning and honour the status of the indigenous status of the indigenous people of New Zealand. He people of New Zealand. He talked about how our talked about how our Maori parents help us with Maori parents help us with learning Maori language learning Maori language and songs.and songs.

► In our landscape learning In our landscape learning topics we include a Maori topics we include a Maori aspect to our learning.aspect to our learning.

► We also learn about Maori We also learn about Maori art and marae protocols.art and marae protocols.

Learning for SustainabilityLearning for Sustainability► Learning for sustainability Learning for sustainability

means teaching people means teaching people how to meet their needs how to meet their needs without impacting on the without impacting on the needs of tomorrow.needs of tomorrow.

► Matthew Turner talked Matthew Turner talked about areas in our school about areas in our school that teach us about that teach us about sustainability and about sustainability and about the different ecosystems the different ecosystems that we study during our that we study during our time at Wakaaranga time at Wakaaranga School.School.

Respect for Diversity of People and Respect for Diversity of People and CulturesCultures

► Tony Yu said that we have Tony Yu said that we have teachers and students from teachers and students from many ethnicities at our school. many ethnicities at our school. We have students from Japan, We have students from Japan, Korea and Australia who visit Korea and Australia who visit our school. our school.

► Teachers from Norway have Teachers from Norway have also visited our school for the also visited our school for the last two years. last two years.

► Grandparents help with reading Grandparents help with reading in the library before school and in the library before school and we have a special day for we have a special day for grandparents. grandparents.

Sustainable CommunitiesSustainable Communities► Mia Allsop talked about Mia Allsop talked about

sustainable communities. In our sustainable communities. In our landscape learning topics many landscape learning topics many of them have an environmental of them have an environmental aspect to them eg. Energy, aspect to them eg. Energy, Mangroves, Growing Potatoes, Mangroves, Growing Potatoes, Our Senses, Recycle Reduce, Our Senses, Recycle Reduce, Reuse.Reuse.

► She told us about Ben Sintes She told us about Ben Sintes who has been working with our who has been working with our school to help us save water school to help us save water and energy.and energy.

During morning tea we showed our visitors some examples of the e learning that has been During morning tea we showed our visitors some examples of the e learning that has been happening around sustainability. This is a landscape design done by Srihan in Year 3.happening around sustainability. This is a landscape design done by Srihan in Year 3.

Our eco holeOur eco hole

►We have an eco hole We have an eco hole at our school. Mrs at our school. Mrs Sharp, our art teacher, Sharp, our art teacher, thought it would be a thought it would be a good idea to have one, good idea to have one, so that our dirty paint so that our dirty paint water could be tipped water could be tipped down there instead of down there instead of going down the drain going down the drain and out to sea.and out to sea.

► Hannah described how we use our compost bins Hannah described how we use our compost bins and our worm bins. We put our green waste in and our worm bins. We put our green waste in the compost bins and our food scraps are the compost bins and our food scraps are collected at lunchtime for our worm bins.collected at lunchtime for our worm bins.

We have a lemonade tree, an orange tree and a mandarin tree in our playground so that we We have a lemonade tree, an orange tree and a mandarin tree in our playground so that we can learn how to grow fruit trees. Emily Cai told us that we used to have big trees here that can learn how to grow fruit trees. Emily Cai told us that we used to have big trees here that

had roots that blocked the drains. had roots that blocked the drains.

Four years ago the students at our school thought that this fence was an eyesore and that Four years ago the students at our school thought that this fence was an eyesore and that our playground needed more colour. We decided to plant a camellia hedge. The trees have our playground needed more colour. We decided to plant a camellia hedge. The trees have bright pink flowers in the autumn. We put fertiliser and mulch around them each year.bright pink flowers in the autumn. We put fertiliser and mulch around them each year.

The Lizard GardenThe Lizard Garden►When she was in Year When she was in Year

Two, Bailee Ryan Two, Bailee Ryan helped to make the helped to make the garden. The Year Two garden. The Year Two children found out that children found out that our native lizards were our native lizards were running out of places running out of places to live so they to live so they designed and created designed and created a habitat for them. a habitat for them.

Tracking DevicesTracking Devices► Tara and Hannah Tara and Hannah

described how the described how the tracking devices work.tracking devices work.

► Usually they are used Usually they are used to find out what pests to find out what pests you have in your you have in your environment. environment.

►We put them in our We put them in our lizard garden to see if lizard garden to see if we have any lizards we have any lizards living there. living there.

Potatoes, shade sails and water tankPotatoes, shade sails and water tank

► Mr Warburton and Mr Mr Warburton and Mr Jenkin are listening to Jenkin are listening to Andrei explain why we Andrei explain why we have shade sails over our have shade sails over our playgrounds and sandpit.playgrounds and sandpit.

► He also showed us the He also showed us the potatoes that his class had potatoes that his class had planted.planted.

► The water tank was put in The water tank was put in last year to help us water last year to help us water the gardens the gardens

Native TreesNative Trees

► Vlad explained to us Vlad explained to us how and why the how and why the native tree area was native tree area was designed and created.designed and created.

►We wanted to We wanted to encourage native birds encourage native birds to return to this area. to return to this area. Many of the trees we Many of the trees we have planted have have planted have berries so we hope this berries so we hope this will happen.will happen.

The Senses GardenThe Senses Garden

► The final area we The final area we visited was the Senses visited was the Senses Garden. Mia told us Garden. Mia told us why we created the why we created the garden and who garden and who designed and built it.designed and built it.

All our students enjoy All our students enjoy relaxing in there. relaxing in there. There’s heaps to see There’s heaps to see and learn.and learn.

We then visited Mrs Rogers year five class and they sang We then visited Mrs Rogers year five class and they sang songs and did a rap about biodiversity.songs and did a rap about biodiversity.

Reflection TimeReflection Time► We were given some strips We were given some strips

of paper which had of paper which had statements on them for us statements on them for us to discuss. We read them to discuss. We read them aloud and then decided aloud and then decided whether we wanted to talk whether we wanted to talk some more about the some more about the statements or that we statements or that we were fully confident that were fully confident that these things were these things were happening at our school.happening at our school.

► It was very exciting when It was very exciting when we decided that we were a we decided that we were a Silver School. Silver School.

We celebrated our achievement with some great food !! YUMWe celebrated our achievement with some great food !! YUM

School AssemblySchool Assembly

► At the end of the day we At the end of the day we had an assembly and had an assembly and showed the school a showed the school a powerpoint about our powerpoint about our schools enviro journey. We schools enviro journey. We told them that we had won told them that we had won the silver award.the silver award.

► Mrs Warburton presented Mrs Warburton presented us with the new plant us with the new plant boxes. boxes.

► It was a great day!! It was a great day!!