11 March 2022

Oh, thank you so much for your kind words in response to our communications and the baking was the icing - so to speak!

I love the Maya Angelou quote:

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

...and you made us feel very appreciated.

Last Friday, the kitchen was alive with the cumin and fennel smells of the tomato and bean curry and herby vegetable fritters made by a group of our senior children, mentored by John. All of the ingredients (bar eggs, milk and a few seeds) came from our gardens. We haven't extended our craft to goats, cows, oats or chickens... YET! This was a true Worser Bay School garden to table experience.

It was cool to see the enjoyment emanating - especially being allowed to fry things 'on their own' but not really totally on their own! The resounding cry "That was lovely - I'm ditching my lunch!" Oops, sorry!

Recently, Beth purchased a fabulous book for the Library which we also want to use as inspiration for the school 'Zine'. It's called 'Skinny Dip" edited by Susan Paris and Kate De Goldi. It's a small book of great poems all centred around NZ school life. Here's a lovely garden one:

In the School Garden by Dinah Hawkin

When you start with seedlings, say only five leaves,

they're as large as life and wickedly green.

A grandma lifts one up, between thumb and finger from the seed tray, while us kids make the grooves for carrot seeds. Carrots make us grow like mad

while the grandmas all go to pot (to pot and repot for the plant sale) and while the teachers lift each growing child one level to the next.

What we're heading for - kids and plants -

are gardens of our own where we can toss seed around to start something green.

Our bones will know, as we travel to full height,

that the sanest, wildest colour on earth

brings us hope and kick and life.

Here's to hope and kick and life, here's to making others feel appreciated... and here's to our children realising they have a 'sweet shop' full of beans and NZ spinach, tomatoes and sage ++ just down on 'bottom grass'.

How cool!