With Matariki approaching, whānau and communities around Aotearoa are preparing to mark the occasion with kai, reflection and the planting of new life. 

In the bitterly cold mornings at Amberley School, heartwarming lessons are under way as students learn about the stars of Matariki and the meanings behind them, in particular tupuānuku, the guardian star associated with food that grows in the ground.

As well as learning inside the classroom, the students of Amberley School are being taught how to connect with the whenua through planting and growing flowers and produce. Thanks to a newly purchased tunnel house, made possible by a Woolworths Growing for Good grant, deputy principal Michelle Rigby and teacher Juliet van den Heuvel are leading the “enviro team” to plant seedlings and vegetables this winter. The goal? To be able to provide all the kai for future Matariki hāngi to give back to the community.

It’s an exercise in love and legacy-building, as the school remembers beloved teacher Sharon Heeman, who started the enviro team. “If you got her as a teacher, you were one of the very lucky ones,” says van den Heuvel. “I really wanted to carry on her work when she passed away. It was for [the students] to experience a loss like that, and I think the garden was quite a healing process for them.”

Under van den Heuvel’s guidance, the enviro team learners dig up soil, “tuck in” the seedlings, and water them to ensure growth. All the while, they discuss what it means to grow their own food and remember those who came before them, like Sharon Heeman.

“I think she’d be pretty proud of her team.”

Amberley School is one of the eight schools that received Woolworths’ Growing for Good grants in 2025/26. It’s a small school with a big heart and community. In this episode of ‘A little better every day’, we spend the day with Amberley School and the enviro team to find out what it’s all about.