Monday, March 31, 2025

GARDEN TO TABLE 2025

 Our well regarded Garden to Table programme is BACK for 2025! 



Room 4 and Room 3 classes have sessions this term. 

Some of their activities and learnings so far include: 

* How the new hot composting system works - and collecting 'greens' and 'browns' for it 

* Planting from seed

* Vegetable and herb identification

* Identifying weeds and removing them

* Naming garden tools




After all students had done a 'knife safety' refresher lesson they were straight back into cooking! 

We have started with some firm favourites to get us back into the swing of things with recipes such as:

*  Herby breadsticks

* Chocolate bliss balls

* Greens & cheese fritters

* Brownies 

All recipes are available - click on the link HERE or just ask Victoria or Miss Long. 












Friday, March 28, 2025

Year 3 / 4 Adopt A Park visit #1

 This week we went for our first visit of the year to our 'adopted park' William Green Domain. 

After we had checked on the native trees we planted last year (and removed / flattened some weeds around them) we had lunch and a play on the playground. 

Levi had brought along some special lunch snacks; some edible seeds from a kahikatea tree. Everyone was keen to try them. They tasted quite sweet, some said they were like apple. 


trying some kahikatea seeds


The next activity was a scavenger hunt going round trying to find different things in nature like our four whānau trees! 

We also collected some harakeke seeds. Levi will look after these and we hope we can pot them up then eventually plant them at the park! 



spotting koru and cabbage trees


We also talked about different kinds of weeds; the ones round our native trees, others that the bees like, taro and the dreaded moth plant pod! 

We managed to find a lot of tiny moth plant pod growing and removed about 200 seedlings growing. We removed many big pods last year and we were pleased to see there weren't too many more!  


"I liked the scavenger hunt and looking for different birds and native trees" (Ruby) 

" I liked learning about the new trees, like the tallest tree in New Zealand and how lots of different birds like eating it"  (Mila) 

" I learnt that harakeke has seeds; I thought Tui just sucked the nectar. We collected heaps of the seeds which I really liked doing. I also found looking at the wasp nest interesting because it looked like it wasn’t really attached to anything. (Aimee)  


" I liked collected the seeds and playing on the playground" (Issac) 


"I wondered why we saw a dead fish in the stream..." (Kane)



Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Year 5/ 6 ENVIRO Eye on Nature Trip

 On Tuesday we went on an enviro trip with Mrs Rothery and some helpful parents to the Auckland Botanical Gardens. It was so fun, we did a lot of activities. 

1) Our 1st activity was learning about bees. We learnt how to get honey from the bees. Eden and I got to wear special beekeeper clothes. They were too big for us but it was cool. It was fun trying to find the queen bee. 


The 2nd activity was learning about plants and what they could be used for. We went for a walk in a native forest. We learnt about lots of other native plants we never knew about. We saw some Totara. When we were done we went back to the place we started at and did a quick quiz. After we had a snack and then we moved on. 


The 3rd activity was food scraps. It was so fun. Some volunteers got to do a great show even if it was short. Then we played a game. It was so noisy when we played it. Thinidi won a prize. Finally we learned more about how food scraps can help us. 


The 4th (and final) activity was the AM/Auckland museum. They shared a Maori legend with us and showed us cool instruments. I played the poi. It was loud in the tent. Everybody had  cool ways to play the instruments. Sadly it started pouring and some of us got wet. When we were done with the musical instruments and activities we got on the bus and went back to school. It was an amazing day and we learnt a lot of new things. If you get an opportunity to go on an enviro trip you should because it is great fun and you learn lots of new things.


Written by Rianka

        





 










Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Bumblebees!

Our school is currently lucky enough to have a small BUMBLEBEE hive! 

Each class has the opportunity to go and visit the bees and learn more about them. 

Some classes have followed this up with amazing art work, others have read 

'Bumblebees Have Smelly Feet' and others have written a haiku. 

A huge THANKS to Garden to Table and NZ Bumblebee Conservation Trust for organising this project and giving us the opportunity to learn more about bumblebees. 














Saturday, March 15, 2025

Moth Pods are BACK!

 This year we are, again, tackling the invasive weed MOTH POD! 

The students are really excited to get out there pod hunting and help the environment! 


Some senior students have made posters to put up around the school to remind everyone to bring them in. 

One student made a flyer to add to people's letter boxes. 

We talked about why moth pods are such a problem. The students had lots of ideas to share. 

"They strangle other trees by wrapping around them"

" They hurt nature"

"They are bug (bee) and butterfly killers!"

Every pod or root we collect is worth 1 point! We are asking students to bring them into school for the local competition. We already have over 4000 points! 

Podding play date over the weekend!


The big weekly pod count!



Sunday, March 9, 2025

NEW Composting System!

 Last week we were very excited to get a new composting system

A huge THANK YOU to Auckland Council for helping to finance this and to Carbon Cycle Compost for the awesome product! 

This compost system will allow us to: 

* Create compost faster

* Have a predator-free compost area

* Compost our weeds and those annoying small sticks we always find around! 

Carbon Cycle Compost got all the students involved in helping to build the compost boxes. 

The students said:

"It was tricky to get the level (of the wood) just right"

" It was so fun using the tools to make the boxes"

" The wood smells nice" 

" We learnt how to prepare it like a sandwich with layers of greens and browns" 

" Microscopic bugs help break down all the food scraps" 









We need... one bucket of greens and one bucket of browns...

We also need water and the 4th ingredient... air!
This helps the 'FBI' (fungi, bacteria and invertebrates) break it all down
 




Friday, December 13, 2024

Enviro Stall for Term 4

At the end of each term we hold an 'enviro' stall. 

Why?

* To showcase and sell 'cookie mix in a jar' - a fun and easy way to BAKE and be WRAPPER FREE! 

It also makes a great Christmas gift. 

* To enjoy some yummy home baking!

* To pick up a bargain - 2nd hand lunchbox, beeswax wrap or some fresh veggies from the garden. 


 

Everything we sold was from one of the jar mixes; 

            - Choc chip cookies

            - Gingerbread people - great this time of year!

            - Chocolate Brownies

            - AND also some herby breadsticks - a Garden to Table favourite.                     

This also uses up bread left from the recent school disco #lovefoodhatewaste 

We raised $265. We hope to put this towards an enviro trip next year. 

GARDEN TO TABLE 2025

 Our well regarded Garden to Table programme is BACK for 2025!  Room 4 and Room 3 classes have sessions this term.  Some of their activities...