Hero photograph
 
Photo by Sean Bailey

Sean's Spot

Sean Bailey —

This week I would like to share with you two really important areas of the New Zealand Curriculum, explain how these relate to our unique LWG curriculum, and give you a very cool example of a project we have been involved in that ties everything together.

Under the Vision of the NZC there is a focus on Connected learners who are:

- able to relate well to others;

- effective users of communication tools;

- connected to the land and environment;

- members of communities and international citizens;

Connected learners has a clear relationship to one of the Principles in the NZC - Community Engagement. There is an expectation that our curriculum has meaning for our learners, connects with their wider lives, and engages the support of families, whānau and communities.

Over the last month the Board of Trustees have been planning the enhancement of the front entrance. As you know, we  were very fortunate to receive some generous funding from one of our grandparents - Annette Foster. Together we have connected with Annette, Rico from Southern Woods and Aaron from The Outdoor Space on this project. It was very cool to also involve many of our learners on the planting day. 

Rico sent us this message this week which was awesome and perfectly illustrates connection:

The connection with Lemonwood Grove on this planting project was incredible. I really like how planting projects bring people together, all with a common goal and an ever-evolving outcome.
The planting came about when one of our regular customers, Annette Foster, approached me about designing and supplying a few plants into the entrance of her grandchildren’s newly constructed school in Rolleston, Lemonwood Grove - Te Uru Tarata. The initial landscaping budget had been spent, and Annette was keen to bring a bit of greenery to the urban sprawl of Rolleston.
I worked closely with Lemonwood Grove principal Sean Bailey, to come up with a brief for the project. After a few meetings with the teachers, the students & Annette, we put a concept plan together. What started as a few trees in the ground quickly broadened in scope and I soon found myself liaising with landscape contractors on a number of hard-landscaping elements.
We put together a plant palette that could handle the conditions of the Canterbury plains, as well as a small rain garden and a literal grove of Lemonwoods. Larger specimen trees were chosen to frame the area. This October, we’ve boxed the beds, imported soil, installed irrigation, and planted nearly 500x trees & shrubs so far. The planting was a fantastic experience with students, teachers, and the Southern Woods Values Group all pitching in to transform the entrance in a morning.
Even in my relatively short time in the industry, it’s incredible how passionate the younger generations are. Every school these-days has a native area, vegetable garden and a school orchard, which is great to see. I work on plant supply projects of all scopes and scales, but the work I do with schools and the community is by far the most rewarding. It’s rewarding for so many reasons, helping to foster community spirit and encourage better environmental outcomes. Above all, it’s creating a lasting legacy. The plants we’re putting in today will be around in the community for generations to come.

All the best to all our athletes who will be participating in our 3rd whole school athletics event next Thursday. I hope the weather improves!

Our learners are really looking forward to the LINK Disco next Friday. We desperately need parents to assist at both the Junior (10 parents) and Senior Disco (10 parents). If you can help, please email me below.

Have an awesome long weekend with your whānau and friends, and we will see you back on Tuesday.

Regards

Sean | Tumuaki

principal@lemonwoodgrove.school.nz