By Shella Dabbach and Jappan Kaur
Enviro Warriors

With all the virus news and all sorts happening in the world today, the Enviro Group has still stayed strong and taken part in making the world a greener and cleaner home.

We started the month of March with the beach clean-up at Milford Beach. Twenty-one students from the Enviro Group went in search of as much rubbish as they could find, picking up plastics, glass and even a pink wig and making sure they we aren’t polluting our beautiful New Zealand beaches. It was successful as the group picked up about one and a half big sacs of rubbish which included many small plastics. Unfortunately, they found many microbeads which comes to show how long plastics take to break down and can be digested by ocean turtles or other sea creatures close to land. Due to lack of time and woman-power they couldn’t pick all these beads up. This teaches us the lesson that we must be extra careful where our items go in public as they can turn into microbeads that harm other beautiful creatures.

The Waicare water testing group is up and running and some girls have been taught scientific ways to test and identify the pollutants in the stream. The bread tag and pen recycling initiative is still running as well, and we are collecting many reusable jars. You can find the big collection of tags in the library and make sure you bring some of your own! These tags can be recycled into wheelchairs! By the end of the term these big jars will also be available in all form classes so you can pop them in at the beginning of school day!

Remember to always take care of our beautiful planet Earth but don’t forget to take care of yourselves too!

Wairau held its first fundraiser for 2020 recently, with the money going to its House charity Pillars. The Rainbow Bake Sale raised $457, thanks to the hard work of Service Prefect Charlotte Print, and her team.

Pillars is an organisation that supports children with a parent in prison.

During these uncertain times, our Health teachers and our Counsellors have suggested a few links to articles you might find helpful. Above is the Action for Happiness calendar – a special edition called “Coping Calendar”. Here’s the link to a PDF of it s0 you can share it around!

Here’s some advice from the Ministry of Health on managing wellbeing. And here are some Top Tips for Getting Through.

By Elizabeth Beaumont
TIC Food Technology

Personal hygiene is essential for protecting yourself but also to protect those in the community who may be more vulnerable to infection, above is a basic reminder from the World Health Organisation regarding handwashing.

As a distraction from the current global health concerns around Covid-19, it is important to remember the things you can do to develop and maintain a healthy immune system. Listed are some simple everyday and affordable options to assist a healthy immune system:

• A good night’s sleep, put away devices at least one hour before bed, have a regular time you go to bed and a regular time to get up. Your body will adjust and respond to this. Sleep allows your body to rest and repair.
• Reduce stress, this may be by planning to be prepared for events that cause you anxiety, organising your time efficiently or by discussing concerns with a trusted friend or adult.
• Eating a healthy diet including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean proteins and sufficient energy. Some simple ways to enjoy more fruit and vegetables are:
  • Pizza topping – Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini
  • Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana
  • Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese rolled in a whole-wheat tortilla
  • Grill colorful vegetable kebabs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions
  • Place colorful fruit where everyone can easily grab something for a snack-on-the-run
  • Top a baked potato with beans and salsa or broccoli and low-fat cheese
  • Add grated, shredded or chopped vegetables such as zucchini, spinach and carrots to lasagne, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, pasta sauce and rice dishes.
  • Remembering to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated, warm liquids such as soup are especially good, and dressing appropriately for the weather, by adding layers to remove and add as you move from inside to outdoor environments.

Find out more

Brown’s Bay Preschool is holding a 20-year anniversary celebration on Saturday 4 April. At this stage the event is still proceeding as it will be an outside function with registration at the gate. It’s a drop in between 10am and 1pm, with a free sausage sizzle and bouncy castles. If you’d like more information, phone 479-3008 or visit www.brownsbaypreschool.co.nz

Kate Fitzsimons, a young Australian woman who runs a charitable foundation to empower teens through life’s unexpected, uncertain and unwanted challenges, has released a five-part podcast series on keeping mentally healthy during the Coronavirus crisis. It’s called Coaching yourself through the Coronavirus Chaos. We recommend having a listen and deciding whether it’s something you’d like your daughter to hear.

Generation Next has published this great little article on helping kids to be resilient – having the ability to bounce back from life’s difficulties. They list 10 strategies you can implement to help your teens rise above adversity and obstacles.

10 Strategies for Resilience