Green Kindergartens are Gold

For immediate release: Wednesday 15 September 2010

Two Papamoa kindergartens are over the moon having achieved Green-Gold standard in the Enviroschools programme.

Papamoa Kindergarten and Papamoa Coast Kindergarten have both achieved the Enviroschools Green-Gold Award – an award achieved by just one other kindergarten in the country.

The Enviroschools programme encourages students to explore real life challenges for environmental learning, action and sustainable communities. As part of the programme an Awards process helps schools measure their progress towards sustainability and identify future opportunities for growth. The Green-Gold Award is the top of three award levels, recognising that the school or kindergarten is embedding sustainability throughout their organisation.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Acting Chief Executive Mary-Anne Macleod said these two kindergartens had shown fantastic commitment and enthusiasm for the programme.

“Both schools have taken their own unique approach to sustainability and have created a ‘hands-on’ learning environment to ensure young children understand how their actions can impact on the ecosystem,” she said.

Papamoa Kindergarten has built a ‘bird supermarket’ of hanging bird feeders in their trees to encourage wildlife into their playground. Papamoa Coast Kindergarten has been looking at different types of energy sources including wind and heat, and learning how energy can be used and conserved. These are just a couple of highlights of the activities that each kindergarten has undertaken to obtain the Green-Gold award.

Papamoa Kindergarten’s Donya Feci said the kindergarten aimed to involve the community in the work it’s doing around sustainability.

“We are passionate about environmental sustainability in our place, programs and practices, involving our children, parents, whanau and community,” Ms Feci said “We continue to honour the diversity of our community enriched by our love of Māori perspectives.”

Papamoa Coast Kindergarten’s Caroline Darby said they had the programme to thank for putting a spark in their team.

"The Enviroschool programme gives direction to our teaching and learning,” Ms Darby said. “It has strengthened our commitment to supporting our students and families to keep them reaching out further into the community to foster green practices and attitudes. We look forward to continuing our work and our positive relationship with the Enviroschools community."

Ms Macleod said it was wonderful to see that all 19 kindergartens of the Tauranga Regional Kindergarten Association had been so impressed by the achievements of the Papamoa kindergartens that they were now all signed up to the Enviroschools programme.

“Papamoa Kindergarten and Papamoa Coast Kindergarten have shown real leadership in promoting holistic sustainable practices within early childhood care,” Ms Macleod said. “And while the kindergartens are role models for other schools, the children themselves are being fantastic role models for their families and the wider community.”

ENDS

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