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Opening of our Community Garden

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Today we celebrated the opening of our “Community Garden”. This has been an exciting journey for our kaiako, tamariki and whanau over the past few months. 

Late last year we focused on reviewing our Philosophy and really thinking about “what is the heart of our centre?” We also participated in a focus on “Sustainability” with the children which contributed to our thoughts around what we wanted to be known for. 

We have always ensured that our children learn about caring for others, caring for each other and being affirmed as individuals (Tuakana Teina, Manakitanga). We decided that this is what is at the heart of us. We started to wind up our Sustainability project because it was now woven into every aspect of our curriculum and therefore started to move onto other things. 

We wanted to widen our tamariki perspectives and thoughts to include caring for their community and establishing knowledge around their place in their community. We contacted Bunnings who was keen to take on this project with us and agreed to provide the boxed gardens (including making them and installing them), soil, plants and other goodies. The gardens were made and so the project started. 

Through the amazing support of Paul Cook (husband of one of our kaiako) who constructed the fence around the garden, Bunnings who made the garden boxes and made other contributions, Wayne Carroll (husband of our Centre Manager) who made our beautiful signs, Mitre 10 who helped us purchase pavers and the tamariki and kaiako who laboured over the area, we were able to make this project happen. We are so excited that in a couple of months we will be able to start harvesting vegetables and fruit for our whanau and wider community. 

Today we celebrated by gathering Kaumatua who came to bless the garden, bless the tamariki and bless the name, along with our whanau. The children performed waiata, led by Kat Cobbald (one of our kaiako) for everyone, they were amazing and was followed by shared kai. At the celebrations our garden’s name was revealed and blessed – Te Koha (The Gift) and that’s what the produce will be…..a gift to our immediate and wider community.


Click the link below to take you to the editorial in the Northern Advocate...

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=12241234