Embracing Creativity and Nature

Term 2 was a time of creativity, growth, and teamwork. From making thoughtful gifts and nurturing our garden to cooking traditional foods and contributing to citizen science, our students learned the value of working together. 

This term, the students created unique clay ornaments for Mother’s Day. Using air-dry clay and an array of beautiful, hand-picked flowers, students pressed the petals and leaves into the clay, capturing their intricate patterns and natural beauty. These personalised ornaments were not only a lovely gift for their mothers but also a wonderful way to explore the textures and forms found in nature.

Maintaining our school garden is a task we take to heart. This term, we rolled up our sleeves and got our hands dirty by topping up the garden beds with fresh soil and weeding to keep our gardens tidy. We gave our berry patch a makeover and nestled the plants in a layer of pea straw to keep them warm and moist over the winter months. We also planted winter seedlings like cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and silver beet. We layered a circle of mandarin peels around them, hoping it would deter slugs from nibbling on our seedlings.

Celebrating Matariki, the Māori New Year, was a highlight of our term. We turned to our school garden’s harvest to prepare a delicious and hearty pumpkin soup. Students eagerly washed, prepped, peeled, and chopped the vegetables, working together to create the soup. The aroma filled the school, and by lunchtime, we set up a table with about 100 cups filled with yummy pumpkin soup.

We also made kumara chips from our homegrown kumara, offering a tasty and nutritious treat that connected us to traditional Māori foods and celebration.

It was also a term focused on our feathered friends in the school garden. We made pine cone bird feeders, it’s always a fun activity to hang them up in the trees and see the birds happily nibbling away at the seeds. This was a great introduction to the New Zealand bird survey, which we also participated in this year. The tamariki had a great time exploring various birds around the school area and counting them. This is a great way to connect the tamariki to biodiversity and the importance of native birds. I loved their colourful masks they created in their classroom, it was a fun activity to end a busy but successful Term 2.

We are looking forward to Term 3 with lots of gardening adventures to explore, and we can’t wait to see what spring will bring us.