At Aorere Kindergarten we got to know about the Curious Minds funding when we attended the Auckland Council sustainability hui at Aorere College in 2022. The amazing mahi Aorere College is undertaking at the Waokauri creek has inspired our kaiako to investigate some reflective questions to find ways to participate alongside our tuākana.
“Is it possible for a kindergarten to be involved in a scientific learning beyond the kindergarten premises at the creek? What learning outcomes will be achievable for our tamariki, our whanau and our wider community through investigation our inquiry question in our local environment?”
Checking out the biodiversity.
We discussed these questions with our organisation and asked how they could support us. We also attended an information hui with Curious Minds facilitator Ying to get more details related to the funding and our focus investigation topic.
From the start of this project, all our community supporters have encouraged us with our vision to provide a rich scientific learning for our tamariki at the kindergarten and at the creek. We have been supported during our excursions, helping our tamariki and whānau to develop the understanding of ngā taonga tuna, long fin eel and short fin eel living in our puna/creek and the natural environment around it.
“The kindergarten partnered with science educators from Whitebait Connection, Manukau Beautification Trust and Auckland Council’s Sustainable Schools team. These experts provided different learning experiences for the tamariki — from looking at tiny creatures with microscopes to using special charts to identify fish and
macroinvertebrates — to help them find out what makes a stream’s habitat healthy. The tamariki identified a wide range of species in the Waokauri, including damselfly, freshwater shrimp, snails and worms. Although this diversity demonstrated that the awa is reasonably clean, the tamariki did also find rubbish and pests such as mosquito fish.” – from Curious Minds 2023 South Auckland Project Showcase
Planting karamu along the awa.
During this journey, we have strengthened our relationship with our tuākana kura – Aorere College and joined in during their planting days and rubbish removal days. Auckland Sustainability team set up a special hui to remove the pest plants (woolly nightshade and moth plants) from our side of Waokauri creek area.
The entire learning context has provided rich opportunities for our young tamariki to explore the natural environment and engage in scientific learning by checking the temperature of fresh water, observing the tuna in hīnaki, looking at invertebrates in freshwater and checking the quality of the fresh water from the middle part of Waokauri creek located near our kindergarten.
Our whānau have really appreciated this project and understand the importance of working towards a healthy freshwater creek flowing past the back of their houses. They have supported us for several clean up days to collect rubbish from the banks of the creek.
We have developed a great connection with our whenua and puna and will continue the learning by further visits to our side of creek with our new whānau, and keep the conversations and connections going despite funding finishing. We will also continue our tuākana tēina relationship with Aorere College and will connect with Papatoetoe West School to observe their sides of Waokauri creek.
Good practices start with small steps like composting.
Diverting packaging from landfill to be used as survival blankets.
As a leading kaiako, I believe that the connection we have developed with our community through this inquiry project has helped us to feel united and will mean the learning opportunities for tamariki will continue throughout their education journey.
As the water flows within Waokauri creek, the children strengthen their connection and continue their learning journey. From kindergarten to primary school and primary school to college.
You can read the Curious Minds Akl-2023-Project-Showcase here.
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