Exciting project underway

This term we have lots of exciting enviro projects underway. We have reinstated the trapping line around the school, and each morning at 8.30am we walk around and check the traps. This means emptying and refilling the traps with toxin free chocolate, and we will be adding the catches to the Predator Free trapping app.

Last week we met with the Maungaraki Community gardeners, and learnt about all of the plants that are in the garden. We got to try some of the vegetables that were ready to be picked. We will be having our gardening group running on Wednesday lunchtime, and help out with weedling and looking after the plants. If there are any spare plants, pots, compost or other items that we can use in the garden, these can be dropped off to Room 9.

Our enviro team meets each Tuesday lunchtime, where we look at ways in which we can improve the school environment. We have a trip planned in early April to Percy Reserve, where we will be learning about the rare and native plants that are grown there, and explore the weta cave! We have daily composting and recycling happening around the school, and are working to finish off the bottle greenhouse so that we can start planting some seedlings for the community garden.

CREATIVE IN SCHOOLS

This term we are very lucky to be one of the first schools taking part in a new Ministry of Education initiative. Creatives in Schools is an opportunity to have artists come into the school and work alongside children, teachers and staff to create amazing pieces of art. Maungaraki submitted a proposal to create a Wellbeing Garden, a place with colour, fun, and plants that the children would all have a hand in making. At the beginning of the term Rodrigo began working with each classroom - over 300 kids, to record their ideas about what makes them happy about school, as well as discussing our new school values. The children worked alongside Rodrigo to draw, discuss and learn about our values. He has then designed a mural that shows many of the children’s artworks, arranged into classes. The Art Group have then had opportunities to work on the mural itself, bringing it to life with amazing colour and design. While Rodrigo has worked on the mural, our wonderful caretaker Tim has designed and made planter boxes and seating to give children and the community a place to rest and enjoy the garden. The next step is for the Art Group to design pavers as a pathway through the space, pouwhenua which will incorporate the five HEART values, and additional planter boxes which our Gardening Group will help to plant and maintain.