PAST EVENTS

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NORTHERN SCHOOLS REUNION

We had a reunion for everyone who had been to our school

HAERENGA PONEKE

1. Mount Ruapehu – Skiing is fun but you have to have a ski teacher. Oliver is a ski teacher on Mt Ruapehu, he taught me things like when you’re going to fall over turn sharp so you don’t hurt yourself badly. Ski teachers are important for learner skiers. By Wiri Davis

2. Te Papa Marae – When we went to Te Papa we saw an old marae that was confiscated by the English people. It was taken to England and when the Maori people found out they were really angry and wanted it back. When it was returned to the New Zealand the people who it was originally taken from donated it to the museum. By Freda Wii

3. Formula 1 is the most expensive motor sport in the world. The cars go over 350 kph and the tyres have no tread on them which helps make them go fast and stick to the race track. Formula 1 cars are run on special fuel for racing. They have aerofoils on the cars to help them stay on track at high speeds. The best part of Formula 1 racing is the money as the drivers are one of the highest paid in motor sport. By Des O’Toole

4. Mount Victoria – On our school trip we went to Mt Victoria. We saw the sea from there and where the Wahine sank. There is a gun at the mountain and we had a photo taken there. The gun was really cool. If you ever go to Mount Victoria you will see a lovely view of the harbour.
By Ayla Ngawaka

5. Wellington Cable Car – The Cable car is really cool. While we were on our school trip we went on the cable car. It was really full. It stops to pick up University Students because it is right by Victoria University. At the top of the hill we went to the cable car museum to see old cable cars. By Freda

6. Weta Workshop – Weta is one the coolest places in the world. It displays movie characters made out of plastic that I thought were real. There were guns that looked real as well.We watched a movie at Weta Workshop about how they made the characters for Lord of the Rings. Weta is a cool cool place to go to. By Soul O’Reilly

7. Tapu Te Ranga Marae – In Wellington we stayed at the marae at Island Bay, Tapu te Ranga. It is 95% made of recycled wood. It is 9 stories high and 2 levels below ground. It has a big kitchen and eating area that also turns into a meeting room. It has lots of neat stone carvings outside. By Des.

8. The Beehive – The Beehive is Buzzing with busy M.P.’s The parliament has a big chamber with the speakers big chair at the front. The speaker is the boss of the parliament. Next time you buzz around Wellington you should buzz in. By Soul

OUR PAST PROJECTS

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KIDS RESTORE NZ - OKIWI PARK

The Okiwi School Wetland Restoration Project is situated adjacent to the Okiwi School in the Okiwi Valley, Great Barrier Island.
Tamariki already operate rat bait stations in the Okiwi Park near the school and have planted trees they have propagated in these and other sites in the valley.
The proposed project will extend these efforts to the Wetland Reserve.
This will involve setting up and maintaining rat bait stations.
Monitoring the effectiveness of these.
Propogating trees and planting in the reserve to improve habitat for the local fauna populations.( Among the taonga species in the valley is the pateke brown teal duck.) 



Operating bait stations in the wetlandwill necessitate some track work to enable easy access to the stations.
Rats are particularly devastating to the native flora and fauna species. They predate many birds, eggs and invertebrates. They also prevent revegetation by eating seeds and sprouting plants. We know(because of our efforts in Okiwi Park) that we can significantly reduce rodent numbers within the reserve to levels that will allow natural reforestation and greatly increased populations of invertebrates, lizards and birds.
Planting will speed this process improving habitat, providing shelter and food.
On Great Barrier Island we do not have to deal with possums, mustalids or hedgehogs. The Dept. of Conservation already operates a feral cat control programme. This project, managed by the tamariki adds to our ethos of ensuring we train kaitiaki for the future and valuingenvironmental sustainability.

Kids Restore New Zealand supporting the Okiwi School Wetland project

1. Aims and Objectives

What do you hope to achieve – what is the purpose of the project and what objectives do you plan to meet? Please also include less tangible deliverables such as increased knowledge and experience.
The purposes of the project are 1. Education
2. Improved conservation values
Collect and analyse base line data of fauna populations.
Lower rat numbers.
Increase species population and diversity by natural repopulation and planting.
Pupils will: lead, manage and operate the project.(Participating and Contributing)
Collect and analyse data. (Numeracy)
Plan for and report on project progress. (Literacy)

1. Strategy

How will the project be undertaken?How will the work be structured?
Is Council approval required?
Most of the work is able to be carried out by tamariki as part of the school programme.
Volunteer adults will help supervise and provide muscle.
We can source local plants and seeds.
Assistance will be sought from experts in our community including DOC staff and other friends of the school.
Most of the project is on DOC estate and will require approval.
Propagation of plants can be managed with existing school shade and plastic houses. 

Okiwi School children have a very hands-on caring approach to their environment. Planting in the area around the school happens often during the year and the children monitor the progress of the plants, releasing them where necessary.
For many years the children have been collecting kakano (seeds) from native trees and plants and propagating them in their own nursery. These locally sourced plants are then planted out in the local area around Okiwi School. To facilitate the propagation of native flora Okiwi School children built a shade house in 1999 as part of their technology programme and in 2004 in conjunction with A.C.C. built another 20m2 house.
Pupils help look after a remnant forest reserve north of the school where hundreds of trees and flax were planted to celebrate its opening in 2000. Planting has continued over the years with over 1,000 seedlings in the ground. Since 2004 the school has been trapping and servicing bait stations for rats in this area with awesome results and subsequent minimal rat presence. This means seeds are left to grow. The nikau understory has re-established and is amazingly thick. Kakariki (parakeet) have re-established nests in the reserve and kaka, kukupa (NZ pigeon), tui, riroriro (grey warbler), banded rail and pipiwharauroa (shining cuckoo) are plentiful. Korimako (bellbirds) have also returned.
In partnership with the Department of Conservation the children have planted hundreds of carex plants in wet, boggy areas on the Okiwi Station. These plants will protect the endangered brown teal nests.

l**Okiwi School on TV6 meet the locals**
The school is also a kaitiaki (guardian) of a small wetland area to the south where they have planted harakeke, manuka, ti kouka, puriri and pohutukawa. Current projects include Pateke habitat restoration supported by The Community Conservation Fund and Extending our predator control efforts with support from Kids Restore NZ. Okiwi School children each year spend a day or two scouring the northern coastline for rubbish. The annual beach clean up has been happening for many years and is an opportunity for the children to be proactive in caring for their environment and they take pride in their contribution. Levels of rubbish have decreased noticeably in the past five years but the large amount of glass collected shows that dumping still continues.

Other kaitiaki projects include;

·transect monitoring of shellfish beds in Whangapoua Estuary in association with Auckland University. This is an annual monitoring project where the other two island schools are invited to help.
·composting to support vegetable growing - a three bin compost system is in action and a mulcher is used to granulate large material.
·rodent and weed eradication initiatives in the island reserve areas are monitored by the children.
·invertebrate monitoring and viewing boxes
·chook arks that fit on top of raised gardens.
·construction of hides for observation of wildlife.
·a wormery
·Two raised gardens for food crops for healthy lunches.
Planting of pingao and spinifex on island dunes


Environmental projects, issues and developments pervade the curriculum at Okiwi School. Opportunities to involve the children in E.O.T.C. are always welcomed. Visitors, local organisations and individuals conducting a wide range of environmental studies and initiatives on Aotea are encouraged to bring their ideas and expertise to the children. Caring for and understanding our environment and protecting the special flora and fauna of Aotea will be enhanced through the development of these programmes.