Garden thefts outrage pupils

Students and staff at Mauku School are fuming after their garden was targeted by a thief.

Principal James Christie told the Franklin Times that one of the school’s Hungry Bin worm farms was taken sometime at the beginning of May.

The bin was donated to us by Waiuku Zero Waste, so it was “very disappointing”, he said.

“One of our teacher aides actually found the lid of the worm farm on the side of Titi Road about 500 metres from the school. It seems to have blown off when they were stealing it.”

Worm bin monitor Reuben Lye (10) discovered the theft.

“It’s my job to check the worm bin. I went out and found our new worm bin was gone.”

Reuben said he was left feeling angry and upset.

Christie said the school’s environmental group and one class were particularly upset and wrote emails to him with security suggestions.

“They have now written letters to the thief explaining their disappointment.”

Teacher Kelly Wisnewski said staff and students alike were “all very annoyed” when they
discovered the thefts, but were determined to make it a good learning opportunity.

Her class has written emotive letters directed at the thief.

“You went and took our stuff, and stripped us of so many learning opportunities,” Payton wrote.

“I am very ashamed of your actions. You have proven that you don’t care for others. Did you know you just stole from kids? You should be disappointed and feeling very ashamed of
yourself,” wrote Evie.

Meanwhile, Jaxon wrote a letter on behalf of the environmental team: “I am very heartbroken at you for stealing from our school. You have ripped away a lot of learning opportunities from us.”

The school sells jam made from fruit harvested on site, and beeswax wraps with the materials paid for with money raised from selling worm tea at the Little Green Expo.

Two families have since donated worm farms to replace what was stolen, but the children have still missed out on their first tamarillo crop, along with other produce and flowers taken around the same time.

“The kids were really keen to try tamarillos – most for the very first time. It looked like a bumper crop,” Wisnewski said.