On Thursday 20 May, Owairoa took part in the global movement called Outdoor Classroom Day. Research tells us that learning in nature is good for our wellbeing and health, keeps our tamariki active, increases attention and academic outcomes, and improves social skills. Getting outside every day is such an important part of life.
Many senior school classes took a focus on wellbeing and getting active. Room 27 took their writing lesson outdoors and acknowledged Tāne – Atua of the forest, trees and all that Tāne has to offer. In Māori mythology, Tāne is the god of the forest and birds.
The learners of Room 27 became one of the big oak trees at the front of the school. They then wrote personification pieces imagining that they were the oak tree.
Room 25 went outside to draw a bird’s eye view map of the area outside Rooms 1-4. One of their favourite parts of the day was getting to sit and listen to the native birds in the Howick area.
