Term 4 News

We finally got the garden space tidied up and looking good! The original space had broken down raised beds with kikuya (a rapidly growing tropical invasive grass) in between and all through them, so it's been a big job to clear that and establish a new layout of in ground garden beds with paths of woodchip and recycled playground matting. There have been lots of comments on the transformation! We had this finished in time for the school centenary, and the students took visitors on tours through the garden.  

As it was a dry start to the term, the students helped with a lot of watering, lots of new plants had to be taken care of, and we learnt about why they need regular watering, and how and when to water. We saw the results of this with produce ready to harvest for the students to taste, and cook with, and to give away to the community.

We had a wet day, which was spent cooking herb and silverbeet scones with fresh garden kai. Some of the students helped make signs for the maara, which will help everyone to identify different plants and which compost bins we are using/not using, as this has been an ongoing challenge with others using the space. It is great to see different students shine in different activities.

Some of the other things we did this term were potting up some native trees that had seeded in the garden, cutting down the cover crop (a fast growing sacrificial green crop used to cover the soil and help replenish nutrients) and planted into that, staking and learning how to tie tomato plants, weeding!, always watering and weeding...,made and hung wasp traps (one of the teachers is highly allergic), we took through some whole classes of junior students on a garden and tasting tour, they loved it! (paving the way for more future kaitiaki of the garden...)..

And finally on the last day with the students, we mulched the garden beds, while a celebratory BBQ was in progress, and then ate fresh garden kai off platters of cabbage leaf plates!  A great end to a great year. 

A huge thank you to all our students who participated, amazing teachers, PiPS support crew (especially Clare), Rachael the incredibly supportive Principal, Jo (who appears when we need her!) and Teresa, who has been a massive help right from the beginning and has helped transform the garden and the student’s cooking skills.

See you in 2025 for more Magical Maarakai Adventures.