Winton Kindergarten kaiako recently reflected on their Enviroschools journey, supported by Josh Sullivan from Environment Southland and Wendy McLachlan from Kindergartens South. The kindergarten signed up the Enviroschools programme rua years ago. The focus of the reflection was “we wanted to restore the mana and love of our environment”. Te kaiako mentioned that they have always had an ecological approach to te tamariki learning environment.
The Winton community and the kindergarten whānau have embraced and supported the environmental education that has been happening at the kindergarten by:
- Donating garden pods
- Approaching the Oreti Catchment group for plants
- Donating livestock for raising funds for acquiring resources for learning projects
- Supporting the Taiao Tūhura program
- Offering their knowledge and expertise.
Te tamariki have had opportunities to learn gardening skills, learn about composting and worm farms, engage in bug exploration – what is the bugs purpose in the ecosystem? are bugs recyclers? Learning about
different bug species by examining them under the microscope. Te kaiako purchased pukapuka to support this tamariki interest and tamariki were engaged in creating bugs from clay for the Polyfest exhibition.
Te kaiako have added physical equipment to the playground to support te tamariki hauora and holistic development.
There is a strong te ao Māori lens across all environmental education opportunities at the kindergarten. “In te ao Māori, everything has whakapapa, a lineage that connects to te taiao, our natural environment. Engaging with the appropriate mātauranga and pūrākau for our region helps to develop an understanding of the whakapapa and history of our place”. (Enviroschools Early Years Handbook)
Te kaiako recognised how their mahi is aligned to the rima Guiding Principles – Ngā Mātāpono of the Enviroschools programme.
Moving forward they have identified the following possible learning pathways:
- Continue to embed the composting and worm farm learning. Relating this to healthy food scraps equals healthy compost for Papatūānuku
- Investigate the possibility of having a sharing shed for the community
- Investigate installing a tunnel house
- Maybe look at gaining a Heatly Heart award
- Renew the waka that sits in the Ivy Russel reserve and revisiting the pūrākau of te Takitimu Maunga.
Congratulations for successfully reflecting on your amazing Enviroschools journey.
Article provided by Wendy McLachlan, Kindergartens South Education Leader