Students: Annabelle, Bella, Rachel, Emma, Erin and Olivia
Project Name: RSHS Sculpture Garden
Puna Wānanga Area: Sculpture Garden, Te Pitau
What your project is about:
The main idea and goal for this Puna is to start a legacy project. We are making a space to show off some of the work done by both present and past students. This doesn't just display their achievements but also helps to foster a deeper sense of community engagement and creativity within the school. By exhibiting a diverse array of student work, ranging from academic projects to artistic endeavours, the space becomes a dynamic reflection of the school's collective talent and innovation. In addition to displaying student work, this space could also benefit the community by involving students in environmentally-friendly art projects. For example, students could create sculptures using recycled materials like plastic, metal, or paper, conveying messages about sustainability and environmental awareness. This not only fosters creativity and artistic expression but also teaches students about the importance of environmental conservation.
Future plans:
We are focusing on completing the foundation of the garden, like adding fences and plants, and have the first lot of sculptures placed in the garden. This project is a legacy project, because as they are all Year 13s this year, their long term hope is for other students to keep the garden space alive long after they’ve left.
What has been the highlight of your learning in Puna Wānanga so far?
Having communication with our community partners - it has been really cool to work with people from our local area. We have had Sonja from MacsMud come in and talk to us about the clay making process, as well as Andrew from the Plant Depot to share his knowledge on plants. There’s also an upcoming trip we have been looking forward to!
THREE skills I have developed through being involved in your project:
Auahatanga/Creativity
Using imagination, being innovative, originality, showing openness to new ideas.
We have used Creativity to think about the layout of the garden because it has to be as functional as it is nice. We have also used a lot of creativity when thinking about the future sculptures we want to make.
Mahi Ngaatahi/Collaboration
Taking shared responsibility for something, working together as a team, resolving conflict.
We have had to collaborate with students, teachers and community partners. There have definitely been challenges, especially between students. This is because this is a student-run puna, meaning we are independent, so there have been times where it has been difficult to agree and work with each other. However, we have always managed to find ways to overcome this and having these conflicts have definitely taught us how to deal with these kinds of situations.
Whakawhiti Whakaaro/Communication
Verbal, written and nonverbal: communicating ideas, listening, speaking and empathising.
We have communicated with our school and broader community to make this project a collaboration of not only our school and its students but those who also wish to beautify our community.
How can the reader help/support us:
Donating to the project and showing whether they are interested in it or not.
