| Brunswick Nth West Primary
school has been involved in many activities while participating
in the SSI and has achieved 5 star accreditation. Hannah Reid
of Brunswick Nth West says that there have been many benefits
of receiving a 5 star rating. They have achieved a broader
public awareness of the commitment they share for environmental
sustainability. Through their various interactions with the
local and wider community, Brunswick North West is now able
to use this recognition of their efforts to give others an
understanding of what their school community values.
In addition to this, they now have a clear and assessable
standard to which they can aim to maintain continually throughout
the future. As the population of their community evolves,
students, parents and teachers can continue to work together
to keep the success of Brunswick North West’s environmental
sustainability program at such a level.
At Brunswick North West, all the staff are committed to protecting
the environment. This is represented through the schools learning
plans and surroundings. Students and teachers share a journey
of learning about their effect on the planet and explore ‘greener’
alternatives. Students are encouraged to take action in the
school community, local community and beyond.
The nature of Brunswick North West’s values and Charter
sets the environment at a high priority. Through a detailed
and up-to-date policy, teachers are kept aware of what is
considered to be essential teaching, while feeling supported
in their teaching.
In addition to this, there is a student-based environment
club in operation, where all students are welcome to participate
in various environmentally based activities such as awareness
campaigns, fundraising, administration of school-wide projects,
calculating the school’s footprint on the earth and
more.
 Recently,
Brunswick North West commenced an extensive water and energy
awareness project. With assistance and support (in the financial,
physical and political sense) from the school population (of
students, staff and parents) and local community, they were
able to build a mosaic waterway feature that travels through
the school grounds. Rain water is collected in two large capacity
water tanks and pumped through to the waterway by wind energy
generated from a windmill. The water is then re-entered into
pipes and transferred to the expanding vegetable patch as
garden water.
This was a massive project that took many weeks to complete.
However, the effort was well worth the reward. The school
now have a stunning mosaic feature that blends into the local
environment. It uses and reuses natural resources in a sustainable
and beneficial way. In addition to this, the waterway will
continue to act as a reminder to everyone, of the positive
ways we can utilise these resources well beyond the act of
building it.
In addition to the schools standard and ongoing activities
of animal husbandry, vegetable and orchard horticulture, worm
bins and food composting, reduction and recycling of paper
waste and energy conservation, they are currently concentrating
on two sustainability projects that aim to foster an awareness
of the impact our everyday actions have upon our environment.
Through the denial of all electricity, during ‘Switch
Off’ Days, students and teachers can focus on how much
they depend on this finite resource and consider alternatives
to using electricity where possible. Then, through the close
monitoring of rubbish production during ‘Rubbish Free
Lunch’ Days, students remain conscious of the level
of waste they create and are provided with opportunities to
consider more environmentally sound choices.
Some of the excellent initiatives that the school has put
in place during their time as a sustainable school are
• Rubbish Free Lunch Days.
• ‘Switch Off’ days where all electricity
use is denied and students and teachers can focus on how much
they depend on this finite resource and can consider alternatives.
• They have made significant energy reductions through
their various initiatives.
• Worm bins and food composting implemented.
• Vegetable and orchid horticulture.
• Rain water is collected in 2 large capacity water
tanks and pumped through to pipes using a pump powered by
a wind mill.
• The school charter and values have set the environment
as a high priority.
• Student based environment
club.
• In the future they hope to construct a new playground
with strong environmental themes based on wind, water, sun
and energy.
When asked about the future of Brunswick North West Primary
Teacher Hannah Reid said “At Brunswick North West, we
aim to create an awareness of the environment through the
use of natural resources within the immediate surroundings
of the school grounds. Within our grounds, you will already
find a large chicken enclosure, vegetable gardens, compost
bins, the previously mentioned mosaic waterway with accompanying
windmill and water tanks, Indonesian huts and gardens as well
as many native plants and trees.
In the very near future, we will be continuing the development
of our grounds in a variety of ways. Two major focuses at
the moment are an environment trail and environmentally sustainable
structures.
The Environment Trail aims to put a focus on the natural
environment we have in our surroundings; it will be a series
of approximately 10 ‘hot spots’ throughout the
school grounds. Each of these ‘hot spots’ will
have a plaque, presenting information and posing questions
about the environment at that spot. This trail will operate
at a number of different levels; student based – in
their own time, student based – in class time and teacher
based, with additional support material provided.
Another project we have planned is based in technology, through
a recent grant we have acquired. Here, we plan to incorporate
technology and our strong environmental focus to build environmentally
sustainable structures; i.e. hail-bail or mud-brick seating
and shelters.
In addition to this, we also hope to construct a new playground
with a strong environmental theme based on “Wind, water,
sun & energy”. We also hope to expand the biodiversity
of the school grounds through urban forest renewal, desert
gardens and wetlands and create a meeting place (a Koori inspiration)
available for all the students to utilise.
More
info.
For more information about the school contact Hannah
Reid on 9386 4624, email brunswick.nw.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
or go to the Brunswick North West PS website at http://www.brunswicknwps.vic.edu.au.
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