At the end of 2024, when reflecting on the year and looking forward to what we wanted to achieve in 2025, the Ōtākou Enviroschools team committed to running 19 hui across our region in 2025. The Enviroschools hui across the region are a mixture of primary, secondary and teacher-focused upskilling one-day events, and are important touchpoints, building engagement and enthusiasm for a wide variety of holistic environmental projects for ākonga and teachers to bring back to their kura.
Changes to the Holistic Reflection process
With the change to the Enviroschools reflection process in 2024, known as Holistic Reflection, the Ōtākou team planned to use our Key Kaiako Hui as a practical way for teachers to understand just how schools can celebrate and identify next steps under the refreshed process. This followed on from our communications to all schools at the end of 2024 about the change and what opportunities existed for kura with the refreshed reflection – with a particular focus on ‘closing the loop’ on the Enviroschools Action Learning Cycle that guides the Enviroschools kaupapa.
Multiple hui across the region enable participation
To reduce barriers to participation, the Ōtākou team hold their own Key Kaiako hui within their own districts, enabling kura to be able to draw on local ideas with local community leaders. Regional Coordinators play an active role to provide a regional perspective; in this instance, by communicating the Ōtākou vision for the refreshed reflection process. We worked hard to showcase the Ōtākou reflection journey in a way that made sense for our region, and our team settled on the ki uta ki tai | mountains to the sea narrative. The most geographically diverse region in Aotearoa, with rainforests to salt pans, sea lions and penguins to kea and kiwi, our diversity is our strength and we will build on this with schools to make their reflections unique and best suited for them.
“I love the sound of the new reflection process. I already have plans in my head for two reflections this year.” Central Otago Teacher.
Our Waitaki team of Chantal and Leisa was quick off the mark, holding their Key Kaiako hui at the end of February, focusing on collaboration between community and Enviroschools. Kaiako from ECE, primary, and secondary schools across Waitaki came together to connect, share ideas, and discover the amazing local groups that can help empower our learners. From exploring the refreshed Enviroschools reflection process to discovering incredible community partnerships, this hui was all about building connections—with each other, with our local assets, and with the opportunities available to support environmental learning.
The Central Otago/Queenstown Lakes team, consisting of Damian, Lucy and Nicky, with new Regional Coordinator, Lexie, and Clutha Facilitator, Scott, began the Key Kaiako hui at Goldfields Primary School in Cromwell. It is always a pleasure to hear kaiako share the sustainable practices that are student-led within their kura, a positive activity that started the day. The team guided kaiako through the simplified reflection process, before they were guided through one of the many reflection activities from the Enviroschools Kit, with a lens of reflecting on a project, inquiry, or lesson from their kura. From this, identified strengths and next steps emerged. In true Enviroschools fashion, the day was broken up with Enviroschools energiser activities, good kai and many cuppas.
Kaiako take part in the Web of Life activity during the Central Otago/Queenstown Lakes Key Kaiako Hui
Next to impart their knowledge was the Ōtepoti Dunedin team, Jennie and Megan, with Damian and Lucy in support, as well as Regional Coordinator, Leisa, to run an action-packed day framing their Holistic Reflection education on pūtaiao kai. Kaiako gathered at the Otago Yacht Club, battled it out dunking biscuits into tea, preserving food, sensory exploration, fermentation and making vegan fish’n’chips with seaweed. Geraldine McGowan shared the science behind the food-based activities. This gave all of the kaiako a shared experience to reflect on – a tangible way to understand the refreshed reflection process. A bonus for this day was having Mike Stevens talk with the group about tītī and food sovereignty.
“I really appreciate all the hard work that goes into organising these days. I always come away brimming with ideas and inspiration.” Dunedin Teacher.
Kaiako battle each other in a tea dunking exercise during the Dunedin Key Kaiako hui
Ki uta ki tai | mountains to the sea
St Joseph’s use ki uta ki tai to plan their next steps
Connection is important to the widespread Ōtākou team so our ki uta ki tai | mountains to the sea template supports schools to visualise this journey in an Otago-specific wording that can be used in ways unique to them. From raindrops in the clouds above our mountains to finding our way to the ocean represents the journey that schools will undertake during reflection in a cycle that is integral to life on our planet.
This template was used by our first Enviroschool to reflect under the new process, St Joseph’s School, in Queenstown.
Holistic Reflection at St Joseph’s School
The Central Otago/Queenstown Lakes Enviroschools team were greeted by a whole school welcome followed by ākonga giving us a guided tour around the school. The selected ākonga, filled with confidence and pride, showcased all of the mahi their school have been doing on their journey to increasing their sustainability. During the tour we got to see:
St Joseph’s School ākonga show their community garden with the Queenstown gondolas in the background
- The use of GOOS paper (good on one side) and Paper 4 Trees recycling
- Worm Farm for recycling lunch food scraps and making quality soil for the gardens
- A bug garden to keep bugs safe so they can continue to do their important jobs in the ecosystem
- Play shed that turns someones trash into their treasure for creative and imaginary play
- The school gardens including vegetables that are given away, a nursery for all school leavers to receive a kowhai, and a prayer garden – all driven by the Garden Club
- Litter less lunch box initiatives and the monitoring of packaging
St Joseph’s School ākonga were able to show how their learning spaces affect physical and emotional well-being, making the following part of the tour one that that is important for the Enviroschools kaupapa:
- Totem poles and a school mural that represent all of the cultures of ākonga and kaiako at the school
- Exercise stations to support physical and emotional well-being
“The purpose of this reflection is to pause and look at what we are doing as a school to improve our sustainable practices. Having you all here today to share in this reflection means we can explore our practices within our school and reflect on how we can make changes to improve or extend these practices over time.” St Joseph’s School ākonga.
Following the tour, the QLDC Solid Waste Team, QLDC Wakatipu Basin Councillors, and the Ōtākou Enviroschools team worked with the group of ākonga to identify what is going well in the school, using the Enviroschools 5 Guiding Principles. Next steps were identified and with some school-wide input, the school will decide on the actions they will take deeper through student-led inquiry.
Our hui across the region were an important part in the pathway for St Joseph’s Schools Holistic Reflection and wouldn’t be what they are without the support of local experts, who offer their time to support the professional development that Enviroschools brings to teachers. Working together across the region also enables our team to work more collaboratively, share ideas and workshop challenges, and we’re blazing ahead with our schools and ECE centres towards new reflections for the rest of the year.
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