16 June 2023

Turere Lodge overnight tramp in the Orongorongos, Senior Camp, Community History Hikoi around the neighbourhood, Centennial Reserve walk and explore, Headland Walk and data collection, Getting stuck into the gardens, Positive Purpose Days, learning at the beach, Sailing, Moanamana Marine Science/Ecology programme with the Boating Club…….

I’m sure there could be more. Already this year, we have had so many opportunities to get out and in touch with our wonderful natural environment. Although all NZ State Schools follow the NZ overarching curriculum, we all have an opportunity to create a localised curriculum - which is contextual. For example, as we are situated right in the middle of all of this green, brown and blue/grey, we are able to have the natural world as a big part of our programme. If we were situated in the middle of the North Island, I’m sure more mountains and rivers would feature … and in Central Auckland, for example, it would be different again.

Over time, we have witnessed so many more Green Schools, Forest Schools, Bush Schools opening their doors. We wouldn’t purport to be in this realm but we can offer some pretty cool primary learning experiences without a bus trip. I recall about 10 years ago, a parent at the time was incredibly interested in this whole area of learning and the purported rise of the ‘bubble-wrapped’ generation, as the term was coined.

There has definitely been a pendulum swing back to getting your feet dirty and digging and climbing. I look back and think all of those Saturday afternoons taking off on my bike with my friends down the local lagoon, and wading in the lakes to get oxygen weed for my goldfish was probably not the wisest safety choice…. but there certainly was a sense of freedom and independence.

We are trying to get that balance right. Not too extreme, not completely controlled, a happy medium where our children can start to make good choices, make ‘safe’ mistakes and move forward with guidance from adults.

I’m pretty satisfied with the platter of ‘being in and growing understanding about nature’ opportunities so far in not quite two terms. Plus, the mental health benefits can’t be underestimated.