Pumpkin celebration
Central Takaka School pupil Lily McLellan, 6, enjoys the pumpkin crop. Photo: Ina Hoslt.
Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater would have been delighted at the turnout at the Central Takaka School last Friday.
Pumpkins of all sizes and shapes decorated the school grounds, and although at the weigh-in no pumpkin topped last year’s world record—an American monster weighing 900 kilograms—there were quite a few specimens that exceeded 100kg.
As well as being judged for for size and weight, the pumpkins were also rated for the funniest and ugliest shapes, the roughest, smoothest and rottenest appearance.
Central Takaka, Motupipi and Takaka Primary Schools were involved in the festivities, which also included poetry writing, storytelling, pumpkin decorating and a feast. And apparently there are 101 fun activities for which the shapely gourds can be used, including pumpkin tossing, pumpkin golf (where a golf ball had to be putted into the hollowed vegetable) and pumpkin circuit training.
Central Takaka School principal Liz Batten said the children had been busily planning the fête during the term, and for the last three weeks were heavily involved in creating posters, makings signs, cooking and baking.
“Traditionally our school holds a pumpkin feast each autumn as a celebration of our garden produce – usually pumpkin soup, fresh bread and courgette pickles, etc, all based around the children being involved in the planning and preparation of vegetables picked fresh from our gardens,” said Liz. “The learning the children have been involved in during the preparation for this day has integrated very well into our theme for this term, “Our Place” – the enviro-education aspect of the unit. This has been learning happening in a realistic and meaningful context, and the children have been very enthusiastic. The senior children carried out statistical investigation into the activities which children would like to see planned.”
Ina Holst
Pumpkin poems:
Plump and Proud
Plump and proud.
Utterly and obviously disgraceful.
Mum’s favourite dish but not mine.
Perfect to scare that Halloween freak.
Kind of weird, kind of fun.
In winter it makes soup - yum yum yum.
Wibbly nobbly bumps all round.
Most recognisable to everyone.
By Anna Roberts
2 Pumpkin Seeds
Once I was given 2 pumpkin seeds.
I planted 2 and pulled the weeds.
It sprouted roots and a huge big long vine.
A pumpkin grew and guess what –
I called it mine.
The pumpkin was different shaped but very fat.
It was a wicked pumpkin and now I am taking it
to a competition.
By Cody Gill
The Orange Pumpkin Comes Out At Night
The orange pumpkin comes out at night.
The orange pumpkin comes out for a fight.
The orange pumpkin always wins.
The orange pumpkin never sings.
The orange pumpkin never plays fair.
The orange pumpkin doesn’t care.
But when the night fades away,
the orange pumpkin has not time to play.
The orange pumpkin gets to sleep,
Not making a noise, not even a peep.
By Areta Milne
