News from the Valley

Do you want to do your bit to cut down on plastic bags AND support our great little playcentre community? Opoho Playcentre is selling these handy-dandy string bags. Contact us on 473 0819 or at opoho@playcentre.org.nz with the details of which bags you would like, or fill out this handy online order form – bit.ly/opohostringbag – and we’ll get back to you with payment details. You can choose your colours or get a whole happy rainbow set. Bags are available in cream, blue, pink, green and black. String bags are $8 each or three bags for $20. Opoho Playcentre …

The Dunedin group of the Kung Fu School holds classes twice a week in North East Valley and new members from ages seven through to adults are always welcome. Instructor Kenneth Mitchell says the classes cover fitness, discipline and self defence. Kung fu covers a large array of topics including joint manipulation, takedowns, weapon styles, animal styles and more. Children’s classes are for ages 7–12 years and are a lot of fun, says Kenneth. The children are always very enthusiastic and enjoy learning the animal-related styles such as tiger, crane, snake and dragon. The classes for 13 years and …

A ‘dark den’ which gives children a space to chill out in a busy world has been a popular new addition to the Dunedin City Toy Library’s toy stock. Thanks to a Foodstuffs Community Grant the toy library has added a range of new toys which are good for children with different physical, social, emotional or developmental needs. Toy library chairwoman Jennifer Lawn says during an annual stocktake they realized they didn’t have many options for children with different developmental needs, such as children with autistic spectrum disorders. The new toys help stimulate cognitive, sensory and social-emotional development …

What has Open VUE (Open Valley Urban Ecosanctuary) uncovered about North East Valley wildlife? There may be many different creatures living in your backyard, from birds to mammals, right down to invertebrates and lizards! Working with our Open VUE educator, Clare Cross, local school pupils from North East Valley, Opoho and Pine Hill took on the challenge to find out exactly what was in their own backyards. They used many different tools and techniques, outlined below, and then combined their findings in what was truly a collaborative citizen science project. Here are the results of what they found out …

An innovative skateboarding programme in schools is the brainchild of Otago Polytechnic student Jimmy Hay, whose passion for skateboarding inspired his community project at Opoho School. The project is part of his third-year study for a Bachelor of Applied Science. As nobody currently teaches skateboarding in Dunedin, Jimmy saw an opportunity that could even lead to a small business eventually. The skateboarding lessons are part of the school’s Discovery programme. With options such as yoga, cooking, digital technology and cardboard construction, it is a time for pupils to explore their own interests and learn self-management. As eight children raced …