| Croydon Hills Primary
School (CHPS) commenced as a pilot school in the Sustainable
Schools Initiative at the end of 2002 and by March 2005 had
become the first school in Melbourne to achieve 5-star accreditation.
 Deputy
principal Robyne Byron-Smith said the school was already involved
with the Science in Schools program and Sustainable Schools
was based on work they were already doing. The school became
part of the program in 2003 and has developed a four-year
plan of sustainability, including recycling paper and cardboard,
plastic and glass and composting many of its food scraps.
There has been a positive response from the school community
to the Sustainable School challenge.
Ms Byron-Smith said one of the best results of the program
was the junior leadership program. Eco-captains were selected
from grade 3 and when the year finished the children still
wanted to play a role in the program, so they were given the
position of eco-mentors so they could continue to lead by
example. “We developed the junior leadership program
and the students responded really well to the opportunity
to be mentors,” Ms Byron-Smith said.
Program manager Glenn Davidson of CERES Environment Park
said the program was about moving beyond awareness. “For
instance, if there is a school excursion to a zoo and they
learn about soon-to-be extinct animals, the program teaches
them to try and actually do something about it instead of
just being aware of the problem.” Mr Davidson said the
program had a “three-pronged attack” involving
school curriculum, how the school operated and engaging other
agencies outside of the school. It as a holistic approach
towards sustainability in schools but Mr Davidson said the
program also tackled wider community issues. “When the
school leads by example, people in the community see there
are serious practical considerations involved, such as money
saving.”
Croydon Hills Primary School has led the way, making a commitment
to the environment across the curriculum, making it the third
school in Australia to achieve full accreditation.
The school met the criteria to gain full Waste Wise Accreditation
in 2004 after attending Waste Wise workshops and being judged
the winning Primary School entry in the Litter Free Grounds
/ Rubbish Free Lunch Challenge for that year.
In November 2005 Croydon Hills was judged the Primary Waste
Wise School of the year.
Since then Croydon Hills have been involved in many different
sustainability activities:
• Mulch has been placed on gardens in order to conserve
water.
• Staff room and classroom composting has been implemented,
and reverse rubbish for construction activities.
• Heavier bins, with heavy lids have been installed
in order to decrease litter.
• Student energy monitors have been given the responsibility
to turn off lights.
• Passive solar techniques are being used through the
use of sun blinds on windows. Tree planting and established
gardens have also created more shaded areas.
• A new team of Eco Captains has been appointed within
Year 3. Interested students had to complete an application,
to say why they were interested in becoming and Eco Captain,
with over 30 applications being received, representing around
one quarter of the Year 3 students. Year 4 Eco-Mentors assisted
in the selection process in early Term One.
• A group of eco-leaders spoke to incoming prep parents
at an orientation session about rubbish free lunches, healthy
eating and displayed their ICT projects.
• All toilets and some of the taps at the school have
been up-dated over July 2006, which should realise significant
water savings with dual flush etc. The CHPS Meter Monitors
have recommenced collecting meter data, to compare with last
year’s statistics, to see how much water is being saved.
• A mural as part of the year 5 Visaul Arts program
has been completed on the Garden Shed in the Farm area. This
shed was recycled when it was saved, and later re-erected
by one of our parents following life as our first Physical
Education equipment shed.
• The CHPS Environment Committee is currently employing
a part time farm hand. It is only for a few hours per week,
but together with a group of interested students each week,
important maintenance and development for compost bins, vegetable
gardens and chooks is effected.
Croydon Hills Primary School has led the way, making a commitment
to the environment across the curriculum, making it the third
school in Australia to achieve full accreditation.
View
presentation on Croydon Hills Primary School, (PDF-
2.83).
More info.
For more information please contact Elmar Lumpreiks
or Robyne Byron-Smith on (03) 9725 1206,
email croydon.hills.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
or go to the Croydon Hills PS website at http://www.croydonhps.vic.edu.au/ |
