Hamilton Gardens Part 2

As promised, I am posting the rest of the pictures from the Hamilton Gardens. Even looking at the pictures makes me want to go back!

Herb Gardens 

(Remember that here, they pronounce the 'h' in 'herb'.)

This part of the garden smelled AMAZING! And just as J was mentioning how ready the smell made him for dinner, this guy walked by and said loudly, "This garden makes me want to go and eat!" We were quite entertained.

This four-part herb garden was divided into "Medicinal," "Cosmetic," "Pot-pourri," and "Culinary." 

The Sustainable Backyard

This garden was designed with a family of two adults and two children in mind. It is imagined that half a day a week is spent in the garden by the whole family.

The garden would provide some in season food with relative ease, but not necessarily all the food needed. The children would be involved in ways such as collecting the eggs, and would learn some of the ideals of gardening and sustainability.

The vegetables have been incorporated into the design in a way which is aesthetically pleasing while also being practical.

That triangle is a very neat little chicken coop!

This space was so compact and full of cool things, it was hard to get any good pictures, but it was really neat.

 Eucalyptus Tree

We were strolling calmly along by some flowers, when I said, "Hmmm, smells like someone used that lemon/eucalyptus bug spray I used to like." J, being slightly better educated than I am (at times), said, "No, that's an actual eucalyptus tree." Once I got over being impressed with myself for so accurately identifying a smell (which I usually cannot do), I was slightly unnerved to realize that I only know the smell in its processed, bug spray version.

Anyway, beautiful smell (and much better in real life), and a beautiful tree!

Look how lovely it is!

Valley Walk

A landscape garden in Naturalistic/Aesthetic Style using indigenous Waikato plants.

(Remember, Waikato is the region Hamilton is in).

This part was much less like a manicured garden, and much more like walking through a natural valley, but still very beautiful, so I'd say they achieved their goal in the description.

Lovely little bridge in the valley.

Well, thus concludes my photos from the Hamilton Gardens - until next time, that is.

Hamilton Gardens Part 1

Since we've been in NZ, every time the subject of Hamilton has come up, someone has said, "You absolutely must go to the gardens! They are unbelievable!" (or some variation on that message). I like going to gardens, but found it surprising that so many people were so specifically impressed with these ones. Anyway, when we decided to go to Hamilton for the archery store, the gardens were my main point of interest, so after a nice lunch and a relaxing cup of tea at the hotel, off we went.

Now, at the risk of sounding like everyone else in NZ, I will tell you, if you're ever in Hamilton... You absolutely must go to the gardens! They are unbelievable!

I tried to be judicious in my picture choices, but even so, I was unable to prune them down to few enough for one post, so the rest will be coming next week.

One section of the garden is divided into little gardens based on themes of different times and places, so I'll label the pictures accordingly. Each section really merits its down blog post, but that's not really feasible, so I have forced myself to choose only one or two pictures from each area. It was not easy. Try to imagine, as you look at the pictures, the surreal and exciting idea of walking through a gap in a tall hedge and feeling as though you've been transported to a different time and place. I have actually been to several of the countries we "visited" in the gardens, and I was shocked at how much it felt like the real thing! I will refrain from commenting unless I feel explanation is necessary, so you can just enjoy the pictures.

Italian Renaissance Garden: An interpretation of the 15th-16th Century Renaissance Gardens that sought to rationalize and improve upon nature.

Te Parapara Garden: A garden demonstrating traditional Māori horticulture, with particular reference to Waikato. 

(Waikato is the region).

These are kumara (NZ sweet potato) mounds, and a kumara storehouse.

Japanese Garden of Contemplation: An example of the 14th-16th Century Muromachi Period gardens designed for quiet contemplation and study.

Notice that this is a giant zen sand garden, complete with beautiful patterns raked into the sand.

Chinese Scholar's Garden: An interpretation of the 10th-12th Century Sung Dynasty gardens that were designed as natural worlds of imagination and surprise.

English Flower Garden: An example of the English 19th Century Arts and Crafts gardens designed as a setting for plant collections and planned seasonal colour compositions.

Unfortunately, there was a wedding going on in this area, so we didn't get to see much, and what we did see was mostly not in bloom. We'll have to go back!

Although the English garden was not one of my favourites, this doorway and bench were a part of it, and I find them quite captivating, for some reason.

Indian Char Bagh Garden: An interpretation of a 16th-17th Century symbolic four-quartered garden built for the Mughal aristocracy as an escape from a harsh environment.

This garden was the smallest, but one of the most beautiful. I wish that I could have gotten further away to take the picture, to give you the whole scope, but it didn't work that way.

Tropical Garden

(This one wasn't from a specific location, but rather showcased all kinds of tropical plants).

And that's the end of the "place and time" gardens. They are working on an American Moderist (West Coast) garden, which is opening later this year, so next time we go we'll check that out).

The one downside of our experience of the gardens was the abundance of unregulated children. Now, I like children, and this girl with the water gun is adorable-looking. However, it is my firm belief that if you bring your children to a place where people come to calmly stroll and enjoy beauty, you should not bring a water gun. Nor should you allow your children to climb into the fountains, run at full speed into strangers, scream and yell at the top of their lungs, or put their fingers on the nozzles of the fountains so that they spray everywhere. Apparently, the majority of the parents there did not agree. Oh well.

So... now you know part of the reason that everyone insists that everyone else go to the Hamilton Gardens. Amazing!! I will post the rest of my pictures next week.

J the Archer

This week has been quite busy and exhausting for me, and extremely stressful for J, but we're finding good things to be happy about, and doing well overall.

On Saturday, we decided to drive the three hours to Hamilton to go to the archery store there. J has decided that he'd like to try using a compound bow and do some shooting in the afternoons after work, to de-stress. Unfortunately, there aren't any archery stores closer to us, but fortunately, we've been meaning to make a trip to Hamilton for a while, so we decided to make a weekend of it. We went to the archery store, the gardens, the lake, and the zoo, ate at some good restaurants, and relaxed at a comfortable hotel, so it was a great trip. I'll put up pictures of the other parts over the next few weeks.

This is J with his brand-new compound bow, and the nice man who helped him get it fitted/set properly and taught him some technique (although he said he had perfect form already).

I don't know anything about archery, but that looks like good form to me.

J's bow has 50lbs of pressure on it, which is apparently a lot, and they struggled to get the arrows back out of the targets, because they sank in so far.

Unfortunately, just one time he forgot to rotate his elbow, and he hit his arm with the string. I should have been a better blogger and taken a picture right after it happened when it was more exciting colours, but it didn't occur to me. Maybe next time.

There is an archery range in New Plymouth that J will check out soon. I've heard good things, so hopefully he likes it. He is currently working 6:00am to 2:30pm, so he has plenty of time in the afternoons to go and do some shooting and de-stress. He used to really enjoy doing that with his recurve bow, and he thinks it will be even better with a compound. We'll see how it goes!

A Walk in Barrett Domain

My friend and I often take our dogs for walks together. Usually, we go to the beach, but this weekend we went to Barrett Domain, which is a park with a lake in the middle, where dogs can run around off the leach.

Holly and Harry (her dog) took a little while to get used to each other when they first got to know each other, and to stop barking frantically each time they met again, but now they are good buddies, and love to run around together. Holly and Harry have sleepovers when J and I go out of town, and apparently it's quite an exciting time for them.

I think Barrett Domain is quite pretty, so I took some pictures for you to enjoy.

 This is Harry at the edge of a drop-off, trying to decide if it's wise to follow Holly, who leapt off of it into the muddy stream below. He is always watching Holly, but seldom chooses to participate in her shenanigans. Which is probably wise.

Holly is a happy puppy!

So far, after over a year in NZ, my amazement at and appreciation of the overwhelming greenness has not decreased in the slightest.

Harry is chasing after Holly as usual. We can't decide if he wants to catch up and join in but is a little nervous, or if he really does know that joining in would only get him in trouble. Either way, it's funny to watch.

Thank goodness for this clear part of the stream, to return Holly to a much less disgustingly muddy state before I took her home. She still needed a bath, but my car fared pretty well, so it was a success, all things considered.

Enviroschools Conference.

You may have noticed that I was posting very frequently for a few weeks there, but now have slowed down again. I have decided to return to a once a week schedule, just so you know.

This was the second week of the school holidays, but I spent most of it in Professional Development, including the National Enviroschools Conference on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. It was an amazing three days of inspiration, collaboration, and beauty, and I am so glad I went!

My kindergarten is an Enviroschool, and we do all kinds of wonderful things under that umbrella, but I didn't know much about the wider organization until this conference.

Here is a bit about Enviroschools from their website:

The Enviroschools Foundation is a not-for-profit trust that supports children and young people to be active citizens, contributing to ecological regeneration and the creation of healthy, resilient and sustainable communities.
As an independent organisation we ensure continuous support for young people participating in environmental sustainability, regardless of changing political priorities.
We have a network that reaches 240,000 children and young people through 30% of New Zealand’s schools/kura, with a growing participation from the early childhood sector. Overall, we have an estimated reach of 1 million people nationwide. We work through two programme areas:
Enviroschools: an action-based approach to education through which children and young people plan, design and implement sustainable projects and become catalysts for change in their families and the wider community.
Te Aho Tū Roa: working in te reo Māori immersion contexts with tamariki (children) and rangatahi (youth), whānau (familes), hapū (subtribes) and iwi (tribes).

Sounds cool, right? Well, it is. Enviroschools partners with schools/ECE centres and provides them with information, support, resources, and connections to facilitate their ability to incorporate sustainability into their curricula, and to make their practices more environmentally conscious.

As the website explains:

"Through exploration and discovery, tamariki (children) and students develop learning and language, care and creativity, relationships and responsibilities suited to their developmental stage. What emerges is a connection with nature and a sense of belonging to the environment and community.
Through these connections with the environment tamariki and students can consider the world we are a part of, and look to how we make decisions to improve the physical and social environment of our places, our community and our world."

I love Enviroschools, and find that it fits my philosophy perfectly. As I mentioned when I wrote about the children cutting my hair for Locks of Love, I believe that children need to learn that they are agents of change, and be empowered to understand that their choices make an impact on the broader world, and therefore to take responsibility for doing whatever is in their power to make it better. Enviroschools is a wonderful way to do this. Take that, and add the fact that the focus is one helping our planet be healthy, and its just about perfect. Also, Enviroschools has a strong emphasis on Māori worldview and bicultural practice, so it all fits together beautifully.

During the conference, I learned approximately a million things about conservation, the Enviroschools program, curriculum tools, etc., and I met a lot of people who are as passionate about this stuff as I am. I want to go to every conference they ever host!

Around the country, schools/centres are engaging in environmental projects like:

• cleaning up waterways
• planting fruit orchards (we have just done this)
• worm farms (we have these)
• X-treme Zero Waste campaigns
• doing energy audits on their buildings
• recycling used paper into paper bricks for burning in wood stoves
• installing rain harvesting systems with water tanks (we're working on this)
• building ultra energy efficient buildings (look for a post on this soon)
• composting systems (we have one)
• growing their own food (we do a bit of this)
• planting native plant gardens/areas (we did this on our trolly track)
• developing programs to facilitate children/students commuting on foot/by bicycle
• starting "Trading Tables" to encourage sharing and reusing resources (we have one)
• re-establishing natural marshlands and other important habitats
• recycling cell phones and other hazardous material

Around the country, schools/centres are incorporating bicultural sustainability into their curricula through:

• involving the children as much as possible in the above projects - from planning to digging to painting to fundraising (depending on their age)
• investigating all the steps/resources that go into making things we use (spoiler alert: A LOT)
• spending time in local reserves or natural places, especially those that are sacred in Māori culture
• using traditional waiata (songs) about the natural world (there are some gorgeous ones)
• teaching the children about the ātua (Gods) of each part of the natural world, and engaging with them to foster respect and admiration for the healthy power and balance of the environment (look for a post on this soon)
• using natural materials for artwork and toys
• learning about how to protect native animals/plants
• facilitation children's appreciation of natural beauty through photography (we have a great digital camera solely for the children's use)
• creating Bug Hotels to foster caring and fascination (instead of fear) towards insects (I built one of these - still should post about it sometime, aye?)
• creating ephemeral (transient) artwork with natural materials (e.g. shells, leaves, driftwood, sand), supporting children in appreciating the gifts of the ātua (Gods) 
• building relationships with Māori elders and working with them to support traditional environmental practices
• Here is an example of something an ECE centre did: http://www.enviroschools.org.nz/Little_Earth_Enviro_page.pdf

I'm not feeling particularly pleased with these lists, because I don't feel that they capture the amazing depth and breadth of what is going on within these schools/centres all over the country. Remember, please, that all of this is done during the school year, and having to compete with all the other things that are supposed to be being drilled into these children's heads. But over 30% of schools/centres in NZ have decided that despite having too much on their plates already, they are going to take on the challenge of creating schools/centres and children/students that are better for the environment. That's amazing and inspiring to me!

For more information about Enviroschools, go to their website at http://www.enviroschools.org.nz/enviroschools-programme

Te Whāriki Bicultural ECE Curriculum

The national curriculum for Early Childhood Education in NZ is called Te Whāriki, which means The Woven Mat. The curriculum is made of interwoven parts, just like the mats. All of the parts intertwine and support each other, and all are needed for the whole to be strong and complete. Makes sense for an ECE curriculum, I think.

Māori have always made woven mats like this one out of harakeke (flax), and they are used for many different things. They are sturdy and relatively waterproof, and can be made with different patterns and styles.

This picture shows the four principals that form the foundation of Te Whāriki, and the five strands that come from them and shape our curriculum, planning, and interactions with children. They are all interwoven, forming the whāriki (mat).

I love Te Whāriki. I need to continue to learn more about it, and will probably need to do so for the rest of my time teaching in NZ, however long that may be. But it already feels very natural to me, because it is an official curriculum that finally acknowledges what teachers have known for a long time: Child are whole beings, not cut-and-paste entities to be picked apart and analyzed in separate boxes. Teachers know this, but it's hard to measure, hard to demonstrate, and hard to put into an overall curriculum with enough structure to support teachers in making effective decisions. I am not saying that Te Whāriki is perfect, and I'm not even saying that there aren't thing about other curriculum frameworks I miss, but I am saying that I love it and feel privileged to have it as a tool to guide my teaching. 

I'll give you the short description of teach principal and strand, from the Te Whāriki text. Perhaps this is too much information for the 99% of you reading who are not ECE teachers, but I am going to post it anyway, because all of us should care about children. Plus, it's interesting.

If you'd like the highlights version, I would suggest reading the last bullet point of each section, labeled 'Sub-goal example.' They are the most specific, so not as helpful for an overall view, but they are wonderful peeks into the philosophy. There are lots of sub-goals for each goal, which would be too much, otherwise I would have included them all. I have bolded and underlined them, because they show most clearly what I love about Te Whāriki.

As you read, notice that none of the principals, strands, or goals (the bullet points) indicated that children should know their ABCs, be able to draw a complete circle, be able to balance on one foot for 10 seconds, have a 200-word vocabulary, etc. The teachers here are very proud that NZ has moved away from this kind of "checklist" system, as they call it, and into more holistic practice. Te Whāriki looks at the child's health, adjustment, and happiness as the important things. This is not to say that we, as teachers, don't voice our concerns when we see a child who is struggling with fine motor development, pre-reading skills, etc., but the holistic focus allows us to see that and provide support in a whole-child context.

The four Principals are:

Empowerment - The early childhood curriculum empowers the child to learn and grow.

Holistic Development - The early childhood curriculum reflects the holistic way children learn and grow.

Family and Community - The wider world of family and community is an integral part of the early childhood curriculum.

Relationships - Children learn through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places, and things.

The five Strands are:

Well-Being - The health and well-being of the child are protected and nurtured.

Children experience and environment where:

• their health is promoted;
• their emotional well-being is nurtured;
• they are kept safe from harm.
• Sub-goal example: Child develop a sense of personal worth, and knowledge that person worth does not depend on today's behaviour or ability. (Note from me: I love this because it is describing the importance of unconditional positive regard, which is a fundamental part of attachment).

Belonging - Children and their families feel a sense of belonging.

Children and their families experience an environment where:

• connecting links with the family and the wider world are affirmed and extended;
• they know that they have a place;
• they feel comfortable with the routines, customs, and regular events;
• they know the limits and boundaries of acceptable behaviour.
• Sub-goal example: Children develop knowledge about the features of the area of physical and/or spiritual significance to the local community, such as the local river or mountain. (Note from me: This is extremely important to Māori philosophy - people and the land are connected, and the physical place where you come from is part of who you are).

Contribution - Opportunities for learning are equitable, and each child's contribution is valued.

Children experience an environment where:

• there are equitable opportunities for learning, irrespective of gender, ability, age, ethnicity, or background;
• they are affirmed as individuals;
• they are encourage to learn with and alongside others.
• Sub-goal example: Children develop the ability to recognize discriminatory practices and behaviour and to respond appropriately. (Note from me: Yes, they're 2, 3, 4 years old, and yet, they can and do stand up for what is right, when we give them the space and respect to do so).

Communication - The languages and symbols of their own and other cultures are promoted and protected.

Children experience an environment where:

• they develop non-verbal communication skills for a range of purposes;
• they develop verbal communication skills for a range of purposes;
• they experience the stories and symbols of their own and other cultures;
• they discover and develop different ways to be creative and expressive.
• Sub-goal example: Children develop an expectation that words and books can amuse, delight, comfort, illuminate, inform, and excite. (Note from me: Reading is the best!)

Exploration - The child learns through active exploration of the environment.
Children experience an environment where:

• their play is valued as meaningful learning and the importance of spontaneous play is recognized;
• they gain confidence in and control of their bodies;
• the learn strategies for active exploration, thinking, and reasoning;
• they develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical, and material worlds.
• Sub-goal example: Children develop a perception of themselves as "explorers" - competent, confident learnings who ask questions and make discoveries. (Note from me: Children are so ready to believe this, and so good at living it, when we support them).

There is much more to Te Whāriki than the principals, strands, and goals, but they are the parts that I have worked with the most, so that's what I've focused on. 

If you're interested in reading further, you can download the entire document (in PDF form) here: http://education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Early-Childhood/te-whariki.pdf

Did You Know That There's a Sport Called Netball?

I didn't know that there was a sport called netball until I had been in NZ for a few weeks, and one night at the hotel I was channel surfing (funny how non-TV watchers still find themselves channel surfing in the hotel) and came across a game. I was very confused, because it looked, to my American eyes, like a basketball game during which all of the players had simultaneously forgotten how to dribble. I watched for a few minutes, but quickly gave up, as I didn't understand what was going on.

Fortunately, the universe proclaimed that I would teach kindergarten with a lovely lady whose daughters play netball, and who would generously invite me to tag along to a game. Moreover, the universe thoughtfully made the day I went an exceptionally beautiful one for a winter sport, so I had a lovely time during my netball induction.

This was one of the games I watched.

Now, I feel that starting my description of netball with, "It's just like basketball, except..." is wrong for two reasons. Number one, there are a lot of "excepts," and number two, it seems rather unjust to netball, which really is its own unique sport. However, I am not interested in reinventing the wheel, and a knowledge of the rules of basketball will give you an excellent jumping off point, so here goes.

Netball is just like basketball, except...

... there is no dribbling. Once you have the ball, you have one planted pivot foot to move around. If you lift it up, you can balance on the other one, but can't put the first one down again.

... you have to get rid of the ball within 3 seconds (instead of 5 seconds).

... the zones of the court are binding - you must stay within your area or you will get a penalty.

The positions are:

GK - Goal Keep

GS - Goal Shooter

WA - Wing Attack

WD - Wing Defense

C - Centre

Each position can be in the area it's written in, as well as the one or two next to it, depending on the position.

Netball is just like basketball, except...

... the ball is smaller and lighter.

... the hoop is smaller.

... there is no backboard.

Notice how small and unhelpful these hoops are? I was shocked at how often they made it!

Netball is just like basketball, except...

... each basket is worth one point.

... if a penalty is called while you are shooting, you get to shoot again if you miss, but if you make it, you just get the point.

... blockers have to stand a full arms length away from the shooter, and have to hold their hands straight up, which looks quite a lot like not blocking to me. Therefore, speed does not seem to be as much of a factor in shooting - they take their time to make sure to get the shot off well. Once the ball has left the shooter's hands, the blockers can jump up and try to block. In my vague recollection of watching many basketball games years ago, I think that that is kind of the idea there as well, but this is much more strict. Penalties were called all the time for improper blocking, despite lots of distance between shooters and blockers and very little physical contact.

... it is a girls' sport. They play some volleyball here as well, but netball is the major sport for girls, and guys don't really play it.

... it is more successful (as far as I've seen) at actually being the non-contact sport that it is meant to be.

Also, the Silver Ferns are NZ's national netball team, who have done quite well for themselves, as far as I know. 

Looks like a cool bunch of women.

For more detailed explanations of the game, please go to  http://www.netball.org/images/documents/rules/ifnaofficialnetballrules2011_for_website.pdf  for the official netball rule book.