Update from Learning Zone

It was almost 3 months ago since we created this special plot for educational purposes .Now look at this picture  Apart from 3 square foot gardening plots with vegetables the rest are herbs. We have 38 different herbs here with description of health benefits on white displays. When students from local schools visit us, they can try lemon balm  to smell and taste. We always welcome young visitors!

THE BEGINNING OF A BIG PROJECT

Contribution of Peer Massages  into EU Rethinking Education discussion.
   
Teachers complain about  bureaucracy flooding schools. Now, days are taken up with, reports, tests, evaluations.  Students are stressed before each test, they are not happy waking up in the morning to go to school again. Sir Ken Robinson’s TED speech –“How Schools Kill Creativity” has been watched by 33 million viewers.

Rethinking Education, an EU document points out that the first thing that education should do is to “Delivering the right skills for employment”. So what are these Right Skills for Employment?

I've been asking this question to my fellow friend President of NZ Europe Business Council Frank Olsson (in picture). His answer was clear; people skills, empathy, friendship, love. These human traits are desired qualities for longer term success and usefulness. All these is covered in his book
"Learning to Dance Corporate Style - how to humanise business and get more out of life"

News from Warsaw

When our instructors change their job location, CMC travels with them into new kindies, new schools, new educational establishments .

Dorota Jakubowska is one of our special instructors. In 2011 she completed a master Degree Thesis on CMC at the Academy of Special Education in Warsaw.    Click here to read her thesis.

After graduation, Dorota  continued practicing  CMC at her private kindergarten “A Kuku” .It was very  uplifting one year later when  I was visiting her, to see children enjoying  massaging each other . Dorota is very patient, loving and understanding children’s needs teacher.  She now works at Astrid Lindgren  private School and Kindrgarten in Warsaw and CMC is there at least once /week  

Thank you Dorota for update. 

What a day!

It was pouring with rain in the morning  and nobody expected any guests to our Garden. But, what  a nice surprise. We had a group of children who already had some gardening experience. It’s a big pleasure to share experiences with other professionals!  David demonstrated sowing small seeds so that the children could practice their skills – Not easy, but getting better. Like with babies – you need to be  focused  and act very gently- real nursery.

The next part of the visit was a Medicinal Weed tour. One of these weeds was  nettle.  Gathered in a way that made nettle a base for very healthy tea full of minerals.

Was there any accidents with stinging? Of course –there was one made  deliberately and immediately cured with aloe compress. Not a drama knowing that nettle stings are very good for your health.

The last part of the visit was hand’s massage with beeswax wax- a little bit of reflexology.

What a variety!

 After Eco Festival we will be happy to welcome children to visit us in the future.

Ngataringa Community Garden Learning Zone update

Please have a look at the latest news  from Ngataringa Community Garden. By using a good organic compost, all plants grow happy and healthy here. In the square foot gardening area, almost all small plots are taken by vegetable, to  name a few ; lettuce, spinach, kale etc.  Now turn to the herbs area. This is just a beginning of the project. In the centre there is Echinacea, unquestionably the  Queen of the immune system. In one corner we have inherited Lemon Balm, and in another, we planted lavender. They are two  herbs that  support our nervous system. There is also a Rosemary, Marjoram and St John’s Wort  in our small garden.
During our “Medicinal Weeds “tour during Eco Festival, we served nettle infusion, which was very popular, so we intend to propagate more nettle in the future.

Eco Festival Openng Day 2015

last Saturday was the opening day for Eco Festival, a wonderful event at Eskdale reserve.  During the month there will be 90+ different events at http://ecofest.org.nz to participate in.  On Saturday, Child Connection shared a space with the nice ladies from Laughter Yoga – a perfect mach.    The weather was marvelous, and thousands of visitors attended the event.  I was very busy too. A family version of  Children Massaging Children - Children Massaging Parents – worked excellently.

During the Eco Festival, I will ran “Medicinal Weed” tours in the Ngataringa  Community Garden on Sundays.   Each session will finish with a Hands Massage CMC technique, with nice smelling natural wax.

Educational Project

At the Ngataringa Community Garden  on Monday 3rd March,. we made a foundation for an educational project
We always welcome visitors from the local schools and kindergartens, and answer lots of questions which has motivated us to make a proper educational plot that visitors, especially children, can enjoy and learn.
The aim is to familiarise children with plants, vegetables and herbs, giving them experience of not only watching them, but to also touch and smell.  We will also teach children how to use herbs for their own health.
In the picture, Jacob, Cornelius, Eva and Eion are next to the square foot gardening plots.On our blog we will keep you updated with progress, and would be happy to share this design with the wider community.