This week we were super excited to find a letter from our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, addressed to Room 19! Back in October, as part of our Unit of Inquiry, Sharing the Planet, we wrote to the Prime Minister expressing our concern at the amount of plastic pollution there is in New Zealand. We suggested that it becomes illegal to litter and that people should be fined for littering.

In her letter to us, Ms Ardern told us that under the Litter Act 1979 it is already illegal to litter and people and businesses do get fined, but it is often difficult to enforce this law. Imagine having to pay $400 every time you let your chippy packet blow away! She told us about the government's 3-year plan to reduce waste through recycling initiatives, clean-up and education campaigns. She also told us about government funded initiatives like Keep New Zealand Beautiful and Sustainable Coastlines. Anyone, like you, can get involved in these projects to help be kaitiaki / guardians to help look after our environment. If everyone makes a tiny difference in their everyday practice, together we can make a HUGE difference. Finally, Ms Ardern said, "Please say 'hi' to everyone else at Milford School for me".