Enviroschools Hawke’s Bay – we’re here to help

Enviroschools has been connecting with its Hawke’s Bay network during the lockdown, from Te Māhia in the north of the region to Sherwood School in the south.

Enviroschools Hawke’s Bay’s response has been to provide resources to their network of schools and kindergartens, which include guidance and instructions for teachers, parents, and tamariki.

“While lockdown has provided us all with a wonderful opportunity to get outside, check out the back yard and connect with nature in our bubble, it’s also put pressure on families and schools,” says Sally Chandler, Regional Coordinator for Enviroschools Hawke’s Bay.

“The resources we’ve shared have looked across four of the Enviroschools theme areas – Living Landscapes, Water for Life, Zero Waste, and Energy. We’ve made the resources really hands on so tamariki can get out and investigate, explore, make decisions, take action, and reflect on the changes they may have made.

“We’ve had some great feedback so far, with one teacher saying 'I liked the links throughout the lesson ideas. I also thought it was a good idea to make it editable, so we can adapt it to our needs. I would definitely use it, and I'm going to share the predator free challenges'. Another teacher said 'The activities vary in difficulty and can easily be adapted to work from home. I think you have chosen a good range of activities'.”

“It is really encouraging to receive positive feedback from our schools and until we can get back face to face with our teachers, we’ll keep responding to enquiries and supporting teachers and whānau with resources,” says Sally.

A learning curve for teachers and students around Hawke’s Bay, the lockdown has also been a learning curve for the local facilitation team. “We’ve been connecting and checking in with each other regularly via zoom and are pleased with these e-rauemi (resources) we've created,” adds Sally.

The kaupapa of Enviroschools is about creating a healthy, peaceful, sustainable world through learning and taking action together and there has never been a better time to really delve into what this means and how it can become a reality for our communities.

For more information on Enviroschools visit the national website Enviroschools.org.nz or check out the Education pages on the Regional Council website

Picture: Enviroschools Hawke’s Bay team (L:R) Sonya Sedgwick, Jenni Scothern-King, Sally Chandler and Amy Davidson, 

4 May 2020

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