At Opunake Kindergarten we are proud to be involved with the Enviroschools programme. You may ask 'what does this mean?' and how does this impact our whanau, community and wider world. Imagine a generation of innovative and motivated young tamariki who realise they are part of the environment and instinctively think and act sustainably. This is where Enviroschool comes in.
The Enviroschools Programme aims to empower and enable individuals and whanau to work together to create healthy, peaceful and sustainable communities. Building strong connections and trusting relationships is at the heart of this, as is fostering a culture of creativity and sharing.
The kaupapa (programme) encourages the well-being of the whole school, community and eco-systems through:
A whole centre approach where the kaiako (teacher) , tamaiti (child) and whanau all learn together.
Rich, meaningful experiences in a nuturing environment.
Enquiry and exploration that lead to tamariki (children) taking action to care for Paptuanuku.
The integration of Maori perspective.
Building awareness and understanding of the ecosystems that we are all part of.
The modelling of sustainable practices and action for the environment.
Respect for the diversity of people and cultures in our communities and world.
