Celebrating our 2022 Achievements

On Friday the Eco Leaders attended the Enviroschools Online Celebration.  We were excited to learn about the other schools that have reflected this year and Share and Shine our own mahi.  We loved the idea of a Repair Cafe at Newton Central School and the compost monster at Henderson Valley School.

The guest speaker was Marcus the Sandman, who made amazing sand art as he spoke.  He seeks inspiration from Te Taiao (the environment).  His key messages were:

- Make you maunga (what will challenge you?)

- Find your flow (what are you great at? Do that!)

- Surround yourself with support (people who want you to succeed)

During the celebration we shared kai and after we investigated "Nice Blocks" - plastic free ice blocks.  We are going to ask the PTA to use these on Frozen Fridays to help us on our journey to Zero Waste.

Renovating Skink Suburbia

 Today Room Wha added rotting logs to Skink Suburbia. They'll give hidey holes for the skinks to live in and attract bugs they can eat.

Making Celebrations Sustainable - Share & Shine

 It's coming to that time of year that lots of us are decorating our homes. We wondering how we can be more sustainable for Christmas.

Lots of decorations are made from plastic and lots of other non-biodegradable and unrecyclable materials, which means eventually they just junk up our world.  Year Wha have made salt ceramic playdough decorations.  At the end of their life they'll break down into soil! You can make them too by following these very easy steps:

1. Measure four cups of flour, one cup of salt and around 1 and a half cups of water into a bowl.

2. Stir and add more water if too dry

3. Knead on a floured surface until smooth

4. Roll out and cut out shapes. Push a skewer through to make a hole.

5. Bake on 120 degrees until dry (about one and a half hours)

6. When cool decorate with paint or felt tips

7. Thread with reused ribbon or biodegradable string

Giant Cauliflower Kai

 Room Rua harvested a GIANT cauliflower. It seems like our vegetables are LOVING the new hot compost and koanga weather.

It was a delicious cauliflower mi goreng morning tea.

Fake or Real Christmas Tree? Year Wha GET THINKING ...

 

Which is more sustainable - a fake or real Christmas tree?

Year Wha GOT THINKING ...

Only two out of 22 tamariki thought a real Christmas tree is more sustainable.  Here's why...

PRO FAKE:

You can use the plastic one for a longer amount of time but the real one you have to compost - Emily

The plastic tree can reuse more but if you buy new Christmas decorations each year then you have to have a lot of room on the tree - Frida

A real one can only be used once- Zoha

If you got a real tree the pine needles come off and whither and die and a bunch of people cutting down trees - that's a lot of trees - Elizabeth

PRO REAL:

The plastic ones even if you reuse them will go into landfill, but a real tree you can compost it

WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE to find out more ...

Bok Choy Ramen

 🌞 🌧 After all the spring rain & sun this week, the bok choy donated by Live Lightly was ready to harvest, so Year Rima cooked it with ramen, for a delicious snack 😋 🍜 

Mara Kai Discovery

 Room Iwa explored what is happening in our Mara Kai ( Edible Gardens) in the koanga (spring)

"I saw a red juicy strawberry" Kayla 

"We saw purple flowers" Grace

"We saw a lot of grey slaters.  We put them on our hands. They were running.  It tickled." Hana

"We saw lots of beautiful plants" Kayla C

"We ate feijoa flower petals.  They are white.  They taste like honey and are soft like marshmallows." Caitlin

"I saw empty snail shells" Cooper

"I saw little legs on the slaters" Francisco

Mila "the garden makes me calm"

Lacey " The flowers and leaves make me feel happy"

Kayla C "It makes me feel peaceful"

Thank you Reclaim

 Thank you to  Reclaim. We loved taking part in Recycling Week 2022! ♻️ Our tamariki can't wait to get planting with your generous donations 😊

Oh dear construction pollution!

 Several tamariki have come to Mrs Daniel about the problem of microplastics on the field, due to the COLA construction. Well done noticing the problem. Evie and her buddy even picked up a whole container at lunch. 

We'll ask Mrs Driver to talk to the contractors. We don't want plastic waste left in our environment.

Growing Kai using the Maramataka

 We've been learning about growing kai using the Maramataka (Maori Lunar Calendar).

Thank you to Howick Local Board

Hot Compost Harvest

 The hot compost we began making in Easter with a grant from the Waste Minimisation Fund and The Carbon Cycle Company is ready! 

The Eco Leaders spent time spreading the beautiful nutient rich compost on our Edible Gardens on Friday.

It makes our seedlings so happy! What a wonderful way to deal with our waste.

If you have contributed to our composting system with waste from home, THANK YOU. And if you would like some compost for your gardens please email christined@sunnyhills.school.nz