Our bottle house is finally completed!

On Wednesday 20th August we invited Rural Women to come and see the finished product.  In 2012 we received a grant from Rural Women and Farmlands.  This grant was used to build a shelter fence in our orchard and to build a recycled bottle house.  Some of our Room 3 Enviro Leaders showed Rural Women around and explained what we have been up to.

Sustainability in Action 2014

A school wide focus for 2014 is "Sustainability in Action."  Term 1 was devoted to understanding what Sustainability is and how it affects Toko School, Taranaki, world wide and the children at Toko school.  Children will be able to explain what Sustainability is and what they can do at Toko School to do their part for Sustainability.  In Term 2 each class will look at a particular area of Sustainability and for the rest of the year do an action around sustainability.  The actions are different according to age levels and some of the ideas are being developed as the children come up with the ideas.  Please ask any of the children at Toko what their class is up to and what sustainability means to them.

Bird Survey

​Until the 6th of July there is a bird survey available for everyone to do.  Please do this survey by listening to birds in the garden for 1 hour and then fill in the form below.  This is a nation wide survey.
 http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/29113/garden_bird_survey_b-and-w_form.pdf

http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/science/plants-animals-fungi/animals/birds/garden-bird-survey

Bottle House

The glasshouse made out of bottles was a way that we could use recycled bottles in a positive way and cut down costs on building a glass house.  The children collected bottles over several terms and carefully counted them until there were enough to build the sides.  Thanks to parents and the community the framing was put up and then the children made the sides themselves.  The bottle-house now has shelves and in the next few weeks will have a door and we can start germinating. Watch this space to see the finished result and to see when seedlings will become available for sale. 

Term 2 Homework Task for the Holidays

​Due to there being no spouting on the bottle-house there is a lot of water going to waste when it rains.  We would like you to design a way we can collect the water from the roof so it may be used on the garden, orchard or to water the seedlings.  This project is for all the family to be involved in over the holidays.  All entries to Mrs Stark in Room 3 by Friday the 1st of August.  Get those creative juices going and see what you can come up with.  There will be a prize for the winning water saving system. 

Pukeiti

​Room 3 were invited to Pukeiti again this year with other Enviro schools.  This was a terrific day where the children learnt about native birds and how to encourage native birds into the area.  The flow on from this fabulous day was that the children in Room 3 decided to investigate about a bird supermarket being established at Toko School.  This has become the focus for the rest of the year in Room 3 in under the 
Sustainability in Action study.

 Taranaki Environmental Awards 2013

On Thursday the 25th, in the school holidays,  Mrs Waite, Mrs Stark, Julia and Xavier went to The Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Awards, at the Devon Hotel in New Plymouth.  It was a very posh occasion and we all felt very proud to represent our school in receiving an "Environmental award" in the education section.  Please come in to school and see the award and certificate which are on display in the front office.  We had a terrific evening.  Thank you to everyone who has helped us in this journey.

Toko School winners of the Taranaki Environmental Awards 2013

School Garden early 2013

The vege garden took off over the summer break and when the children arrived back the veges were as tall as they were.  Some of the children have discovered what beans taste like raw and how you can make your own seeds by leaving them to dry.  The children have a fantastic time wondering in amongst the pumpkins and zucchinis seeing their growth.  We have some huge zucchini's which we are going to turn into some cakes or if anyone has any recipes which we could try with the zucchini's please come and see Maree at school.  Children love trying new things.

Bronze Environmental Award

On the 8th February Rachel the Coordinator for Enviroschools Taranaki came to Toko to present us with our Bronze award.  This was a high point for the school as to earn this award our school needed to show ccommitment to the Enviroschools project, and that we were taking steps in the whole school environment, and in teaching the children about caring for the environment around them.   This was a huge achievement to have been able to fulfill the criteria within such a short time frame.  Lots of thanks to everyone in the community who has given time, expertise, equipment and support since we became an enviroschool.  Our exciting journey is just beginning.

Wearable Art with Mrs Mitchell

This was a fabulous opportunity for the children to showcase what they had made to the the whole of the Taranaki.  The children showed a lot of patience with their felt making.  They will tell you it takes lots of work to produce one piece of usable material.  All the children assisted in making a dress to be entered in the Wearable Art competition and they also made a piece of material to make something for themselves. 

 PET(Poly Ethylene Terephthalate bottle) Projects with Megan

We cut our bottles into all sorts of practical things like worm farms, aquariums,

snail habitats and hanging baskets.

Enviro Production with Mrs Hancock

This was a fantastic elective for children to bring out the dramatic side in themselves.  The children under the guidance of Mrs Hancock wrote, produced, directed, acted and made props for an environmental play.  This was then performed on the Environmental Elective open day.  All the parents, children and teachers watched and laughed as the children performed.  There are certainly some budding actors in the school. 

In the orchard with Mrs Waite

The Orchard group have been busy making compost bins, weeding the fruit trees and companion planting.

In the garden with Gwenda

The garden enviro elective did a whole new remake of the garden area.  They put in new paths for easy access to the middle and planted a selection of vegetables.  The children all learnt about companion planting and how to grow great vegetables.  The lage bean frame looks rustic as well as serving a practical purpose.  The frame was covered in polythene and use as a hot house to grow some seeds.  Come and see all the wonderful work that has gone on.