Sustainability at the Aoga Fa`aSamoa.

Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa
Conference, 19th-21st July, 2013.
Honouring the past, visioning the future.
‘O le lā’au ola e tū, ‘ae ‘ua ōia.’
(The tree stands but has been marked to be
felled. Unless we act now the earth as we
know it will be gone)
An Overview
of the Development of
The A’oga Fa’a Samoa was the first established
Pacific Island language centre in New Zealand,
beginning operation in 1984. It was the first
licensed and chartered Pacific Island centre (1990).
An Overview of the Development of
the A’oga Fa’a Samoa
The A’oga Fa’a Samoa is a Samoan immersion
education and care centre located in Auckland.
Infants, toddlers and young children attend for up
to 9 hours daily, up to 5 days per week, and learn
in the Samoan language.
Sustainability at the
A’oga Fa’a Samoa
[
Sustainability
What is it?
It is hard to explain as there are many different
meanings.
‘Building upon young children’s knowledge
dispositions and skills to ‘make a difference’ in
their own lives on sustainability related
matters now and into the future.’ (Davis,
2010.p.28)
Garden
Children plant seeds in
containers.
Water
Measure and monitor growth
Transplant to garden
Sign posts
Harvesting the crop
Delivering crops to the kitchen
Family and Community: Taking silver-beet home
to cook.
Belonging: Celebrating a harvest and
sharing to take home.
Older children harvesting and cooking.
Showing children where to put
different rubbish in the correct bins.
Sorting
Older children teaching younger children
Where to put paper cups and drinking cups
Relationships
Working with others to sort out the
recycling
Working together with the primary
school taking paper to bins.
Taking card board and boxes to the
rubbish bin.
Kohanaga Reo and Primary School
children sorting rubbish at Aoga
FaaSamoa.
Reusing…
The Principles and Strands of Te Whariki by
promoting a learning environment that is
holistic, rich in diverse learning experiences
and where children know that they make a
real difference to the world around them.
Contribution - Taking responsibility
for feeding the worms
Watching the worms eat the food
scraps
Empowerment: Being given responsibility to
feed the worms in the school garden.
Water
Worm Juice
Taking worm
juice home for
their garden
Watering
the garden
with worm
juice
Water tank in the garden.
Cloth Nappies.
• A challenge from the primary school children
about a huge amount of land fill that comes
from our nappies.
• Discuss ways of reducing disposable nappies.
• Research
• Attend workshops
• Trial working together with Auckland council.
(Nappy lady).
The next step….attending workshpos
We found out that….
Looking at Aoga landfill contents of
nappies and sanitary others from the
Auckland council. (29 May, 1.30pm)
• (refer to pie graphs).
LANDFILL CONTENTS (KGS)
RECYCLABLE
PAPER
PAPER TOWELS
PLASTIC
1&2
PLASTIC
BAGS AND
FILM
FOOD WASTE
RECYCLABLE PAPER
PAPER TOWELS
PLASTIC 1 & 2
PLASTIC BAGS AND FILM
FOOD WASTE
NAPPIES AND
SANITARY OTHER
Trialing nappies.
Nappies hanging out in the sun.
The Strands of Exploration and Belonging
are maintained and strengthened as
children explore the nature world and
develop a sense of their relationship with
other living creatures and their
environment.
Children sorting out the rubbish on the
17th July 2013
Result
75% less
Children
weighing the
rubbish
Children work together, sharing their ideas
as they help to create a healthy and
sustainable environment, the strands
Communication and Contribution are
supported.
How can one be expected to care for, or protect,
the natural environment if one has never been
immersed in it?
Early childhood educators need to be aware that
the potential for sensory experiences we set up
and should include the whole outdoor setting.
If you are thinking a year ahead, sow a
seed.
If you are thinking a decade ahead, plant a
tree.
If you are thinking a century ahead educate
the people. ( Chinese proverb)
‘O le lā’au ola e tū, ‘ae ‘ua ōia’.
(The tree stands but has been marked to be
felled. Unless we act now the earth as we know
it will be gone)