In our 9L Social Studies class, we have been working on Action Research projects during Term 4.

Students have chosen a variety of projects and devised actions that could make a difference to our local community.

The projects vary from collecting blankets for the local Women’s refuge branch and hopefully a representative from Dunedin will come to Logan Park to collect these. Other groups have been active in our school environment. After lots of discussions and adapting plans from establishing a chicken run at school, this group has now planted some strawberries in the planter boxes outside the Health classroom. Another group is taking part in the Town Belt Kaitiaki guardianship and have now chosen a small part of the town belt adjacent to Logan Park High School to undertake tracking and trapping of predators as well as weeding of introduced plants. This is a long term project and it is important for us to consider how it can be continued next year. Thanks to the Town Belt Kaitiaki we have also received 60 Manuka and Kanuka to plant at school which the whole class will do over the next weeks.

These projects are helping our students in decision making processes, adapting plans and reflecting on projects to see what could be done differently.

A weeding session organised by Jack, Dekin, Conor and Eli with help from the Townbelt Kaitiaki

To complement their Taking action project a group of 9L students organised a weeding session on Friday, the 3rd of December. Ivy and Sycamores were the weeds that the group had identified in a part of the town belt that Conor’s group had been working in to learn about tracking and trapping predators. The session was really successful and we removed quite a few young sycamores and lots of ivy. It would be great if the Enviro group or maybe another class could adopt this section of the path to keep ivy and sycamore free!