Putting Our Plans into Action
Newmarket School Enviro Journey 2017
Newmarket School School Address: 7 Gillies Avenue, Auckland
Enviroschools aim:
School Type: Contributing School (Year 1-6)
To support tamariki/ students to develop a sense of connectedness with the world around them as they consider what it means to be part of a sustainable community.
School Gender: Co-Educational PHONE: 09-5202959 EMAIL: office@newmarket.school.nz WEBSITE: http://www.newmarket.school.nz
Newmarket School is a Green Gold Sustained Enviro School. The Enviroschools kaupapa is about innovative solutions to regenerate our ecosystems and communities. This is our journey over the past 5 years of maintaining Green Gold Status, 2012-2017 2
Green-Gold Reflection 17th November 2017
How do we know we are a Green-Gold Enviroschool? We demonstrate this through our strong culture and relationships, our focus on Te ao MÄ ori and Hauora, and the building of a sustainable community. Our students are Kaitiaki, with an on-going focus on Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, and Tino Rangatiratanga. 3
2013 - The Reflection Process In 2013 Newmarket School Enviro Team decided we needed to take stock of where we were and to look ahead to where we might go. We utilised the voice of our school and wider community (present and past students, whanau and board and community/members). We wanted to touch base and to plan for the future, as we knew we would be moving into a time of great change for our school. We knew that these changes would disrupt existing systems and require us to be an innovative and flexible Enviroschool until our building programme was completed. The 2013 reflection was based on the Enviroschools Guiding Principles and our Whole School Approach, as well as our own school vision and mission.
The Outcome The suggestions made by our community to strengthen Newmarket School’s Enviro journey were broad and encompassed wellbeing, the lived space, and broader community involvement. Please click on this link to see the suggestions - Outcomes of the 2013 Reflection At Newmarket School we have a living, evolving school vision - progress is celebrated and new ideas added. A strong focus on the well-being of our akonga and the weaving the EnviroSchools Kaupapa into all that we do.
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From our 2013 Reflection we developed an Enviroschool Plan that would: “Create a healthy peaceful and sustainable world through people teaching and learning together”. Our plan for the next four to five years focused on four areas for growth: ●
We are at the heart of a Sustainable and Diverse Global City Community Moving our sustainability and well-being focus beyond the school gate was important to empower students to link with others in the wider school community, and to build on and enhance their lived environment.
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Māori Perspectives - Experiences for learning and a strong local curriculum To continue to build our knowledge of Te Ao Māori, particularly through our curriculum - utilising resources in our wider community.
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Me and My Environment - Empowered Students and Staff with a strong vision and values Building on the concept of the students having a strong connection and ownership of our school as a lived environment, with a stronger focus on the spaces within the school site that are restful and enhance well-being.
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Learning for sustainability - Building and Physical Changes To continue to build resilience and wellbeing for all when our built environment is undergoing on-going and disruptive change. 5
So what has changed over the last five years? We are at the heart of a Sustainable and Diverse Global City Community We moved our sustainability and well-being focus beyond the school gates creating links with, and learning from, the wider community. ● We have had a strong Enviroschool focus on student safety in our ‘hood’, and reducing car emissions to improve air quality. Two key initiatives at Newmarket School are a focus on rail safety and on Travelwise. Our students have a strong connection to their environment and know that they can effect change for a sustainable world. ● Projects have been diverse including ‘walking miles’, safe scootering, drop and walk, and a segment on the Mo Show promoting safety around trains. They have worked closely with Track Safe NZ and with the Auckland Council and won the community award. Our empowered students work with other younger students in the school to share their learning.
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We have ongoing connections with Highwick House, starting with an heritage sweet pea harvest, and more recently the Love of Bees project. Students in Y3/4 organised a beach clean up at Okahu Bay, they worked with Westpac Bank staff to organise this event. Students are keen to educate our community motorists and a team are regularly out encouraging motorists to slow down for kids . They have lobbied the school to purchase a speed camera and have collected data on the problems encountered outside our gate. The enquiry and action is mainly led by students, with strong support from adults
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Students were part of a Flat Connections group of students from around the world. Last year, when one of the schools was destroyed in an earthquake which struck Nepal, the other schools collaborated to raise funds to help with rebuilding the school. Students have worked globally with students from Singapore, Australia, USA, interviewing scientists on air quality. Students made connections with experts as they work together on a common project. An air scientist skyped in to discuss air pollution problems. Newmarket often host visitors from other schools and countries to share their learning and we enjoy visiting other schools to learn with them. We worked with May Road School to learn about the harvesting of flax. We worked with Hillsborough School to support their new Travelwise teacher and student leaders. Staff visited Tiritiri Matangi
The school is involved with our community, honouring the diversity of people within it.
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Our school Pepeha: Ko Maungawhau te maunga Ko Ruareoreo te awa Ko Te Ti Tutahi te wahi Kei Tāmaki- Makaurau tatou e noho ana Ko Newmarket Primary te kura
Māori Perspectives - Experiences for learning and our curriculum To continue to build our knowledge of Te Ao Māori , particularly through our curriculum - utilising resources in our wider community.
Newmarket School has four key principles - these are the building block of our Enviro Journey. ● We bring in whānau for storytelling and sharing perspective/Māori worldview- Whakaaro Māori manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, whanaungatanga. We also know our stories and our history.
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Building a strong knowledge of Te Ao Māori Considering the our environment through our lens as guardians borrowing the land. ●
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Matariki is a special time for our students, each year we celebrate Matariki by utilising our whanau to guide us through what they perceive is important for our kaitiaki. - Matariki and celebration is strong and we are now trying to strengthen this aspect with our Chinese community. This involvement includes discos, book writing, cooking, kite making, or excitingly this year Turonga (celebrations with weapons such as we see in powhiri) Our biannual marae visits help to broaden students understanding of Te Ao Māori and include discussion with Kaumatua. We visit the Auckland Museum to understand our local connections and connections to our local community We value Māori protocol such as Karakia whenua for the beginning of our new build.
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Our teachers focus on local integration of Māori culture, knowledge and wisdom through regular lessons and particularly Te Reo Māori learning. We are fortunate to have the support of knowledgeable teachers to grow students understanding of what it is to be a New Zealander, the importance of Treaty principles and Te Reo and Tikanga Maori. Kapa haka is alive and very strong at Newmarket School with four teachers leading the group. With our re -visioning we have tried to weave authentic story into the culture of Newmarket School. All of our Ako (teams) have been named after a native tree. These are trees that are mostly in our grounds and special to our area, or students helped plant new trees to enhance biodiversity. Experiencing Tikanga Māori in an authentic setting Exploring the concept of whanaungatanga (inter-relatedness)
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Learning for Sustainability Experiences for Learning - Our Local Curriculum Environmental education is an overarching umbrella for our curriculum. We utilise rich experiences for learning at Newmarket and we have developed a stronger and more cohesive Enviroschools curriculum over the last five years. The Guiding Principles are woven into all aspects of our school life. ●
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Our overarching topic or Experiences for Learning (Efols) encompass big ideas important to students lives eg. What is a system? What does it mean to be human… Biodiversity through the curriculum... Some areas of focus have included: Healthy eating, sugar and fat in food, Waste audits, Visi Visit Litterless Lunches - Life-cycles - Butterflies - Where does our food come from? Celebrating the diversity and the food of our cultures - cultural performances, Olympics Day Harvesting, cooking from our gardens and minimising waste during our annual camp sleepovers
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We have a living, evolving school vision - progress is celebrated and new ideas added Me and My Environment - Empowered Students and Staff with a strong vision and values Our school vision and values have been refreshed - we wanted all in our community to understand why we do what we do, and to own it. We now have a Plan on a Page, a clear road map for all that we do. We continue to build on the concept of the school site as an important learning environment. We continue to focus on the spaces, the nooks and crannies that are restful, quirky, and enhance well-being. The site is used by all, the garden shed is always open, everyone owns the space.
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Anyone can garden The Butterfly House is now a meeting house! Student and staff driven projects - pest control Native zone maintained and enhanced Boat Gardens - continue to float A garden in a bucket (for apartment dwellers) The Garden Shed - Not just for the Gardening Group Wonderland Adventure playground - still changing Vertical gardens - oops where did they go G2T - Newmarket Style - green chips Moving the water tanks before the building is…. demolished
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Learning for sustainability - Building and Physical Changes To continue to build resilience and wellbeing for all when our built environment is undergoing on-going and disruptive change has been a challenge. Empowered students - helping us through the tough times ●
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Waste audit (100 students) growing students and communities understanding of waste systems, and implementing agentic next steps as part of our site redevelopment - A don’t give up mentality Composting continues, but the worms died! No more worm tea (yet). Produce for parents, cuttings taken home Reduced waste systems continue - students underway again... Maintaining Respect for Diversity - everybody has a viewpoint!
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Building and Physical Changes - Keen to be Green ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
We are now reuse experts - we salvage what we can and reuse What we don’t use we give to the community We plan for the future - water saver taps, sensor lights More unisex toilets - keep things simple and natural More mini environments that support well-being A start again positive mentality Continue to build sustainability through curriculum and a broad ownership of NPS as a Green-Gold Enviroschool
Supporting sustainable communities
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We have a living, evolving school. Vision - progress is celebrated and new ideas added.
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The Guiding Principles are woven into all aspects of our school life. Teaching and learning is underpinned by the Treaty principles and MÄ tauranga MÄ ori. The school has embraced the growing cultural diversity of its students and their families.
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Environmental sustainability is part of all our decisions and everything we do.
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Students at our school have a strong sense of connection to the environment - we know we can effect change for a sustainable world.
Introducing the Travelwise Team Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards Digital Global Community Presentation to the Board of Trustees
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The enquiry and action is mainly led by students, with strong support from adults.
Waste Audit - Newsletter
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We have (generally) been able to measure many changes from our actions, and show that we are making a difference.
Our 2015 ERO report highlights the school 's overarching vision: "to grow connected, generous, thoughtful leaders who reach for the stars." The ERO report continues, "This vision is brought to life through caring and inclusive school relationships and practices." The school’s Plan details goals specific to being inclusive and supportive of all students. The cultural backgrounds of children are celebrated.
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An important change for sustainability - More staff are involved Try right clicking on a photo and using "Replace and willing to have a go - less top-down Image" to build yourenviro-leadership own yearbook.
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The environment is more vibrant and healthy; it feels like a living ecosystem and can support our community towards sustainability
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Māori perspectives are enriching our journey.
Whatungarongaro te tangata toitū te whenua As man disappears from sight, the land remains.
Beach Clean up Marae visits Matariki Celebrations Matariki Books May Road Flax Collection Turonga
Joe- storytelling and sharing perspective/Māori worldviewWhakaaro Māori manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, whanaungatanga. Kaitiaki - Considering the our environment through our lens as guardians (borrowing the land...Whatungarongaro te tangata toitū te whenua. As man disappears from sight, the land remains.
Teaching and learning is underpinned by Treaty principles and Mātauranga Māori. The school has embraced the growing cultural diversity of its students and their families. 23
The school is involved with our community, honouring the diversity of people within it.
Chinese Language Week Dragon banners Sister school Recycling centre
https://vimeo.com/184243016 Chinese Fan Video
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Our Next Steps ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
The enviro team continue to develop rich curriculum implementation Remind ourselves of Enviroschools kaupapa as we move forward Focus on humane pest extermination - reduce sprays Implementing a solar power project for sustainable energy Reinstate systems for recycling and scraps - once new building is open Reinstate gardens - build on our version of G2T Reestablish EOTC links in our community - Maungawhau, Ruareoreo and Newmarket Park Visual reminders of our history and links to the community
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Next Steps continued ● ● ● ● ●
Take our students to Warrenheip to see the kiwi sanctuary Plant a school bee lay on our terrace Build some interesting play mounds Kids plans put into practice More quirky and fun creations like the recycle book letterbox.
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Next Steps continued ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Continue to develop rich curriculum Work with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei on a pou for lower area Reinstate worm farm Develop new grounds artworks to represent our enviro-journey Problem solve chickens - again! Try to better measure changes Understand how our new physical environment impacts on learning Encourage students to develop more restorative areas - a new friendship area, more spots to explore and potter Reassess whether we allow for diversity or single ownership group projects More organic gardening practices
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Sustaining Green Gold On Friday 17th of November 2017, Newmarket School celebrated sustaining our Green Gold Status as an Enviro School. This means that as a school we want to make a positive difference to our environment. We focus on sustainable communities by empowering our children with learning opportunities that enable them to take action for the environment. Respecting the diversity of people’s cultures is reflected in our planning, learning and action and this framework is underpinned with our Maori perspective. We had the following visitors come in from around New Zealand to hear our learning journey as an inner city school. Morag Vasilaki, Auckland Council’s Environmental Sustainability educator. Toni Watts, Enviroschools Facilitator from the Canterbury Region. Eden Hakaraia, Enviroschools facilitator for Primary Schools from the Northland Region. Nicky Elmore, Enviroschools Programme Coordinator Auckland Council. We took our visitors for a walk around our local community to visit ‘For the love of bees project’ and to see places that we use like the Olympic pools and Newmarket train station. Some of the highlights we shared included our kapa haka group performing, maintaining our Travelwise Gold level status, Garden to Table where our children harvested and prepared lunch for our visitors. Everyone at Newmarket School and our visitors contributed to creating three Koru that the children designed for our new buildings. Our visitors heard about our history and about the many initiatives planned for and carried out by our children to help make our school and our community a better place.
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Visiting Highwic house
Visiting the Newmarket Train Station
Our Kapa Haka Group performed
Setting our new goals
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Finishing our display Koru
For the love of bees.
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Green Gold Sustain Award On Friday the 1st of December, a team of children From Newmarket School attended the Enviro awards ceremony where we were awarded our Green Gold Sustained Award. We have a living, evolving school vision - progress is celebrated and new ideas added. The Guiding Principles are woven into all aspects of our school life. Sustainability is part of all our decisions and everything we do. Students at our school have a strong sense of connection to the environment - we know we can effect change for a sustainable world. The enquiry and action is mainly led by students, with strong support from adults. We have been able to measure many changes from our actions, and show that we are making a difference. The environment is more vibrant and healthy; it feels like a living ecosystem that can support our community towards sustainability. MÄ ori perspectives are enriching our journey. The school is involved with our community, honouring the diversity of people within it.
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