Lumsden School welcomed into the Enviroschools family
Posted on Monday, 29 August 2011 11:35 a.m.
“Caring to learn and learning to care about the environment,” is a vision Lumsden Primary School holds dearly, its principal Andrew Watson says.
That belief became officially embedded at the school today (Friday) when it became the 20th school in Southland to join the Enviroschools programme.
It was an occasion marked in style, with a special school assembly held to welcome guests including Environment Southland Chairman Ali Timms and Southland District Council councillor John Douglas, who were even treated to a rendition of the school waiata.
Ms Timms told the pupils she was particularly pleased the school could now call itself an Enviroschool because Lumsden was her home town and it was great to have such a positive event in her own back-yard.
Becoming an Enviroschool was a great step because it introduced a different style of learning, in that children could take the maths and science learned in the classroom and apply them to the outside world, Ms Timms said.
She was also impressed with the number of projects that were up and running, even before the school had officially become an Enviroschool. Those projects include a vegetable garden, native garden, and a recycling and reusing scheme. The pupils have even rejected the use of plastic wrap and tinfoil to package their lunches, instead opting for washable containers.
A group of students now known as the Green Team; Hannah Sangster, Daniel Titter, Jorgee Robb, Max McCallum, Elliot Menlove, Arnav Singh and Jessica Senior, are responsible for the school’s transition, with the assistance of their teacher Judi McMillan.
Mrs McMillan said she was extremely proud that the school had finally accomplished Enviroschool status. But it was the Green Team that was the driving force behind becoming an Enviroschool. “They came up with the ideas and really took ownership,” she said.
One of the team, nine-year-old Elliot, expressed his understanding of the Enviroschools philosophy this way: “If we don’t look after it (the environment), things will disappear.”
Environment Southland is the brand name of Southland Regional Council.