Teacher in the Paddock

AFTERSCHOOL EDUCATION PROGERAMME THURSDAY WEEK 4 TERM 3 2026

When the days are wet we have the perfect opportunity for exploration. We found small waterfalls, then a bigger one over the neighbours fence. Flooded wetlands, and a lot of water under the wooden bridge. We put small sticks and cabbage leaves in the current which was so fast that each one was dragged under.
Down by the bridge the children were checking the depth of the wetland water, when one child asked" Aren't there crocodiles and alligators in here?" This caused a panic with one child who tried to shimmy up a cabbage tree. 😆

Back at the woolshed our fire from the day programme was still going. The children added some pinecones and were very keen to practice the gentle blowing they had learnt last week. When we put the lid on the rain started. The rain drops sizzled which produced steam. We then used a watering can to pour a bit more water on, and it was quite a sizzle with the pool evaporating quite quickly. These simple experiments always produce great discussion.

Such a good afternoon. 👏👍💕

A beautiful reason to grow Taro ❤

A Very Special Taro Giveaway

We would love to help re-establish Pacific taro gardens across Aotearoa.

This year, we are dividing a very special ancient taro cultivar gifted to us by Pa McGowan. It was once common in this land, growing in swampy creeks and streams throughout the warmer parts of Aotearoa, especially Northland.

We are asking Kōanga members to nominate groups with a swampy or wet area where they could begin multiplying one tuber and establish a Pacific taro garden of their own.

It would be especially wonderful to hear about Māori or Pacific organisations working to support the health and nourishment of their communities.

We will send one tuber of Pa McGowan’s cultivar to each of two selected groups.

Please nominate a group in the comments below and tell us a little about who they are, where they are based and how they would care for and multiply the taro.

We would love these tubers to become the beginning of something that grows, spreads and nourishes people for generations.

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME THURSDAY WEEK 4 TERM 3 2026

Today the rain definitely did not let up, and by lunch time we had 30 mls in the rain gauge.
All our animals are still fed no matter the weather, and the wet helped to remind some children that they have to check their bags for everything for all weather including food.
Lunch was Pumpkin soup. One team was in the woolshed preparing the pumpkin and all the ingredients, while another group got an amazing fire going. There was still some heat and small embers from yesterdays fire, and the fire today did not take long. We propped up our fire pit as a lid, and soon a very hot fire was underway. The soup ingredients were soon ready to go into our warmed up potjie pot. We then propped our lid up another brick higher, and our pot could fit underneath. A wonderful exercise and everyone was chuffed that even in pouring rain we could cook food.
In the woolshed buns were prepared, and our beautiful waitress served everyone.
After lunch we explored waterfalls, flooded wetlands, with the water coming right over the wooden bridge, and the culvit near the entrance to 316 was cleared.

Our road we heard was also very flooded, and high tide at 7pm may see the road closed.

A super Thursday. Thank you everyone.

AFTERSCHOOL EDUCATION PROGRAMME / JUNIOR HORSEMANSHIP WEDNESDAY WEEK 4 TERM 3 2026

The fire still had good embers from our day programme, so we took the opportunity to rekindle it. Some children cut wood practicing using a saw, then we found that small sticks burnt at the end made a wonderful pencil. Everyone did some art work.
Sticks were also decorated and some are nearing their first completed stage, for as all the children know a stick is never completed. Something very magical always happens next.

With the horses Dinky was walked up the driveway to see the Alpacas. This is great descensitization for him, and great skill required from the student who was leading him. 👏

A fantastic afternoon.

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME WEDNESDAY WEEK 4 TERM 3 2026

Today the students welcomed a new friend. This gave others the opportunity to step up as they could remember when they were new, and felt slightly unsure.

All our cows and small animals were fed first today and with the colder mornings it is good for everyone to keep moving. By morning tea time the children said "We are so hungry" as feeding out gets everyone's digestive juices flowing.
After morning tea we went up to another part of the farm to feed our 5 horses and the children all put hay out for them, while they ate their hard feed. On the neighbours driveway their is a beautiful camelia tree. The children wanted their photo taken with the pink flowers.☺️

Back at the woolshed we put together a wonderful fire. The children had gathered sticks from up at the horses, and soon we were cutting up a huge pumpkin for a pot of pumpkin soup which we cooked over the coals. Everyone also made bread to have with it.
In the afternoon we walked to the Ghost Trees for some exploration and down time. For some a rest in nature was needed.
Some of our sticks were also worked on and with gems and copper on top they are becoming quite magical.

A great day everyone. 👍👏😋❤

AFTERSCHOOL EDUCATION PROGRAMME TUESDAY WEEK 4 TERM 3 2026

Our Kai today was apple crumble, using the macadamia nuts and chestnuts children had gathered in the topping.
Brilliant weather to be in the great outdoors this afternoon, and first we helped Kevin drive Awhi our house cow back to her paddock down the forestry road. Gorse flowers were sampled, and they tasted just like almonds.
We then went to explore the river, and the water being quite pleasant meant most children ended up wet. We did a cross country course running through the water and over beaches and around a bigger child standing right at the other end. Exploring under the bridge was also cool.

Back at the woolshed gumboots were packed with paper, and piles of wet clothes were at the front entrance for parents to collect.
Fabulous friendships and fun today. 👍💕

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME TUESDAY WEEK 4 TERM 3 2026 Golden Sands School

Having animals on different parts of the farm means we get to do a lot of exploring and exercise. The horses are up in a small paddock where we keep the hay. In a neighbouring paddock up the hill their were 5 alpacas observing us from by their fence. The horses are so weary of them.

One of our themes this term is CO OPERATION. Because we have a wide range of ages this means we have older children helping younger ones. Tuekana teina. We also have a child with a broken arm, so everyone is looking at ways we can be helpful.

After morning tea a student who has made a worm farm spoke to the children telling them that worms have 5 hearts, and that there food is a mix of wet and dry materials that they are slowly breaking down. Other children will make small worm farms in the next weeks.
We then went to the garden where we are starting to prepare our watermelon bed.
Some children collected weeds for the chickens and ducks, and others filled wheelbarrows of soil finding juicy worms for our younger chickens. We took the carpet of the garden bed, weeded it a little, found some more huge earthworms, then put a layer of soil then hay on top. Super mahi with everyone working together, and taking turns with the tools. The children were also very good at washing their tools before they went away.

Lunch was apple crumble. YUM.!!! The topping was macadamias and chestnuts that the children had collected, mixed with oats. The nuts had been previously roasted and ground specially for this use. So yum.

For the afternoon we finished off in the garden, went to have fun in the river, then return to the woolshed to do some work on sticks. A new child got to have a buddy help him choose a stick which he will start next week.

Thank you everyone, it was a fabulous day all round. 👏👍💕

AFTERSCHOOL EDUCATION PROGRAMME MONDAY WEEK 4 TERM 3 2026

Chewing and sucking on sugarcane. With the extreme cold the sugar level in our sugarcane is perfect and the children could not believe how sweet is was. Karla who is wwoofing with us is from Cairns, and her family used to grow sugarcane. She told us other ways to eat it, and one was peeling the outer skin away with a whittling knifen then chew and suck the stick 😋😋😋So delicious, and as we walked Awhi back to her paddock children had their stick of sugarcane to munch on.
A small mouse was observed, and the children were amazed at how its tiny hands were so like a human hand.
Sticks were worked on, then chickens were hand fed and eggs collected.

Such a wonderful afternoon, thank you everyone.

AFTERSCHOOL EDUCATION PROGRAMME THURSDAY WEEK 3 TERM 3 2026

During the day the children had a great fire. One log in the afternoon was still full of good embers underneath. We turned it over and one child put some chopped up hay on it. With a gentle blow it ignited.. WOW. We looked at ways you can blow, what things required you to blow, was it a puff or gently blowing, and we discovered that is was like blowing up a balloon, a very long gentle breath. We practiced it and found it wad breathing from right down in your belly, long and slow. The children practiced and practiced it burning various materials, and not creating any smoke or flying ash. 💕

The other afternoon activity was peeling the bark of a very huge walking stick, as the children called it. It was amazing to see the underneath layers as they were exposed changing colour as oxidation occurred.

Thank you everyone. A fabulous afternoon.👍👏