Golden Kids spends grant on the garden
Just before the National Party Government canned the healthy food policy, Golden Kids Early Childhood Education Centre secured a grant of $2000 from the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board to be spent on their new planting programme.
Head teacher Loretta Horton said they were very lucky to get in before the funding stopped. “With the help of Sol Morgan, the children have already helped to plant the first half of the fruit trees that we are going to put in around the perimeter as part of our nutrition and physical activity programme and our sustainable garden.”
The staff are really passionate about the sustainable garden and supporting the extension to the centre’s edible landscape, said Loretta. The children are frequently baking or cooking jams and chutneys, and the trees will add another dimension to their experience whilst making the most of the teachable moment.
“The children can now follow the whole process through from blossoming to fruiting to harvesting, which helps them to develop an awareness of the whole environment,” she added. “In the past, parents of the children leaving the centre to go to school, donated books or puzzles. We’ve already had two parents who donated fruit trees and bushes for our sustainable garden and when the children come back they can see what they planted—it’s a living legacy.”
The centre has purchased 20 different varieties of trees and berryfruit, and these will also provide shade in the summer. The trees will go in around the boundary without affecting the centre’s outdoor space too much.
“It is amazing what you can do with the space you have got and it will look beautiful in the spring,” said Loretta.
The waiting list at Golden Kids is now down to one year, Loretta continued, and there are hopes it will reduce over time to six months. This was a positive spinoff from the existence of a Playcentre and a new kindergarten, said Loretta. “Parents are lucky to have such quality early childhood education in Golden Bay.”
Ina Holst
