Turakina School won the Recycling is Primary competition with their video about recycling. Producer mum Tina Duxfield.
Turakina School principal Leigh McKay didn't know what the Recycling is Primary competition was until a parent informed her - now her school is the winner.
The pupils received a laptop from Harvey Norman for winning Volunteer Whanganui's competition at a ceremony at Turakina School last Tuesday.
The goal was for primary schools to make a video about the efforts they make to recycle and why that is imporant. The video was uploaded to Facebook for judging.
McKay said it was Tina Duxfield, the mother of Turakina student Taiaha Ihaia, who told her about the competition.
"I am extremely grateful to Tina who, on probably the busiest week of the term, pushed on and got the video made because she knew we were busy.
"In a small school, parents like her are vital, because the reality is, without her it wouldn't have happened that week."
Turakina School had learner conferences going on at the time and McKay said Duxfield realised that teachers didn't have the time to dedicate to making a video.
"She came back the next day and had done up storyboards for each scene of the video, she asked if she could have the kids at lunch time and away they went.
Taiaha Ihaia (left), whose mum Tina Duxfield pushed the project, along with Turakina School students including those that participated in making the video. Photo / Bevan Conley
Competition entries were uploaded throughout National Volunteer Week, which begun on June 17, and judged by a group including Volunteer Whanganui's Sandra Rickey, who is the brains behind the concept.
Reducing rubbish was already a factor in Turakina School.
"In our first term, our focus was all on reducing the amount of rubbish we're sending to landfill as well as litter-free lunches," McKay said.
"We're close to the beach, that's another one of our classrooms, the students see the rubbish there and we try to get them to think globally about the problem that plastics are causing in the world."
McKay wasn't sure how the school would use the new laptop yet, but said the students were excited about it.
"They're excited about technology because we're trying to build up our store of digital devices and they keep asking me if we can open the new laptop yet," she said.
"We got new chromebooks in the school this year and that opened up a whole new world for them."
She liked the concept of the Recycling is Primary competition.
"The reality of education is that we don't have all the funds to get the things that we need, so entering competitions is another way to try to get them," McKay said.
"Sandra is doing a great job, she's obviously very passionate about what she's doing and pulling all of the groups together, that seems to be a key thing."
