Halfmoon Bay School shines Green-Gold
Halfmoon Bay School students, teachers and extended whanau celebrate their Green-Gold reflection on 30 June.
Josh Sullivan, Environment Southland senior education advisor; Alison Fitzsimons, Halfmoon Bay School teacher; Morag Vasilaki, Enviroschools facilitator and Kath Johnson, Halfmoon Bay School Principal.
One area we’ve really improved is incorporating Māori perspectives into our culture.
We’ve done this through our greeting and welcome practices, karakia, and increased awareness and visibility of tikanga, says Kath.
“We are fortunate to have such an engaged community who support us on our journey, care about the environment and are always willing to be involved.”
The school’s Green-Gold reflection process, held on a chilly day in late June, was led by students and Enviroschools facilitators from Environment Southland.
The students spent the morning sharing their ideas, actions and initiatives to demonstrate how the five guiding principles were a part of everything they do.
Many of these successful student-led initiatives, such as the penguin monitoring cameras and kura kai garden, focus on sustainable communities with measurable actions to make a difference.
Following the Enviroschools framework, students reflected upon their achievements to decide ‘hand-on-heart’ if they are a Green-Gold Enviroschool.
The answer from students was a resounding – yes! Year 8 student, Ava, says the Green-Gold recognition is a great label for the school as it tells them they are doing great across all guiding principles, especially Māori perspectives.
“I’m most proud of the kai garden because we sold seedlings from this garden to the community, and it felt like we were giving back.”
The penguin camera project was set up to monitor penguin activity and the population at Ackers Point.
Students were curious and wondered if there were little blue penguins at the local wharf, and are now monitoring that spot, says Ava.
As part of the penguin project, tamariki visited the hoiho rehabilitation facility at Mamaku Point Predator Free Sanctuary.
Students learned about penguins and their habitats and created artwork inspired by their visit.
Bevan Mudie, the school’s volunteer art teacher says they create artwork to celebrate the island’s culture and wildlife.
“I think we’ve well and truly drawn or painted every animal on the island." “Working with the school and students is a wonderful way for me to get to know the whole community, and it’s a nice contribution that I can make to the life of the school.”
Bevan says the teachers have done a wonderful job of supporting the students to think about their lives and the impact their decisions have on the environment.
