Year 3 & 4 students Adopt A Park

 As a new initiative this year our Year 3 and Year 4 Enviro students have 'adopted' a local park.

The park we've adopted is William Green Domain. It is on Pakuranga Highway - just a short walk from school. 

We have become kaitiaki for this park and will try our best to look after it by:

* Picking up rubbish

* Learning about and caring for native trees and animals

* Removing weeds

Visit 1: Friday 24th March 

During this visit we:  

1) Looked at the native trees and plants growing and got to know the park

2) Picked up rubbish

3) Collected a LOT of moth pods 

      

Visit 2: Wednesday 17th May. 

During this visit we had an expert environmental educator teaching us. Levi taught about the importance of fungi, bacteria and insects (worms) "FBI". These help keep the soil healthy. 

Soil, and the plants living in it, play an important role in absorbing water.  We learnt about worms and how they make tunnels in the soil.  The number of worms in a piece of soil tell us about the health of the soil. 

The highlights of the visit were: 

"counting all the worms" (Austin)

" finding all the worms and counting how many there was in a small piece of soil" (Hunter)

" being outside in the environment and picking up rubbish" (Daniella) 

"filling up my big bag with SO much trash!" (Shyla) 

"spotting an eel in the stream and the over-friendly chicken!" (Mrs Hays) 

Garden to Table Term 2 - Welcome Room 3 & 4

 As we start Term 2 and move into autumn, two new classes are taking part in our Garden to Table programme. 

The students have already created lots of amazing things...

* Plants for Mothers Day gifts

* ANZAC biscuits 

* Herby Breadsticks  to mention just a few!

 

 

  

 

Student have also been enjoying the 'Plant ID' task - where they have to see who many plants they can identify from the looking, feeling and smelling the leaves. 

 

All the recipes we make this term can be found HERE. 

Garden to Table - end of Term 1

As Term 1 comes to a close, Room 17 and 2 have their final Garden to Table sessions for the summer. 

They have cooked up many fantastic recipes and done amazing work clearing, composting and planting up the garden. Ka pai!  All the recipes we have made this term can be found HERE. 

Moth Plant - a pest weed

What is it? 

Moth plant is an invasive weed that wraps around and strangles other plants. It grows really fast and you can find it growing everywhere! 

                 

Why is it a problem?

X it can kill native plants

X it is poisonous

X it is an irritant if the white sap goes on your skin (and it stains clothes) 

         

How can you help? 

YES you can help! 

✔️ help the environment 

✔️ help our school win a prize

✔️ win prizes for yourself! 

Our school is part of an annual  'Pest Free Howick Ward' competition to collect as many moth plant pods or the seedlings growing with the roots attached.  Whichever school collects the most wins $1000! 

If you bring 10 pods or seedlings into school you earn a gold token, 20 would earn you 2 gold tokens and so on. If you bring in 100 or more you win a mystery prize! 

Our school has already collected nearly 6000 pods and seedlings! Last year we came 4th in the competition, we hope this year to place higher, maybe even win! 

Bring any pods or seedlings you find into school but be careful when you pick them; wear old clothes, gloves and safety glasses if the pods are up high.  If you spot some at someones house make sure you ask permission from the householder before you take them. 

Alternatively you can tell Miss Long in person or email b.long@howickprimary.school.nz 

2023 Garden to Table

 Our Year 5 & 6 students from Room 17 and Room 2 have made a great start to our Garden to Table programme for this year.

The gardens are looking tidy, mulched and plentiful already and it's only March! Wow! 

In the kitchen the students have been cooking up a range of delicious recipes including Japanese pancakes (Okinomiyaki) flatbread,  savoury scrolls and bliss balls. I was amazed how easy the scrolls were to make and feel inspired to have a go at making these at home. 

The recipes are below. 

 

Enviro Games!

 

These activities are great fun and educational! 

* National Geographic Kids 

Heaps of fun games to learn while you play!

CLICK HERE

* The Recycle Right Game! 

Are you an expert on putting the right things in the yellow bin? Try this quiz to find out! CLICK HERE

Find out more about recycling by watching a video HERE. 

Enviro Kaitiaki 2023

 It's only the second week of term 1 but we are already thinking about lots of fun, rewarding ways we can help the environment.
We are looking to set up our ENVIRO KAITIAKI team as soon as possible and would LOVE you to come and join us! 

WHAT is the Enviro Kaitiaki team?

A groups of students who meet weekly to work on projects to promote helping the environment and educating and empowering others to do the same.

2021 Enviro Kaitiaki reaching Bronze level award

WHAT are the Key Qualities of Enviro Kaitiaki?

 ✔️ A role model of the school value ‘Respect for the Environment’. (E.g wrapper free, pick up rubbish)

✔️ Responsible monitor

✔️ Willing to step up and help when needed 

✔️ Confident speaking in front of others 

✔️ Enjoy learning and sharing new skills and information (e.g. Traffic Light Bins)

2022 Enviro Art team painting the food scrap bins 

WHO can be in the Enviro Kaitiaki team?

✔️ Year 3,4,5,6 

✔️ Anyone passionate about helping nature 

✔️ Anyone passionate about being wrapper free and reducing waste

WHAT kind of things do the Kaitiaki do?

This year you can opt into different ENVIRO projects depending on your interests. 

• Monitors - for the compost bins or Traffic Light Bins. 

Responsibilities: checking and, where necessary, emptying bins weekly. 

• Waste Minimisation - Wrapper Free Project (Year 5/6) 

Responsibilities: supporting & educating classes and whanau to reduce the amount of soft plastic in lunchboxes. 

• Adopt a Park Project (Year 3/4)

Responsibilities: visiting a local park (in school time) to tidy it and monitor the stream

• Moth Plant Pod Project (open to everyone) 

Responsibilities: collecting pods in school time and out of school hours, educating classes, counting pods.  

• Trees for Survival  (Year 5/6) 

Term 3 - more info to come later in the year. 

• School Native Garden  (Year 3 - 6) 

Term 2 - more info to come later in the year.

2022 Tree Planting Trip

2022 Enviro Art group decorating a whale tail for an Auckland art trail

HOW do I sign up to be part of the Kaitiaki?

Collect a form from Miss Long, your class teacher or download one HERE.