| Eltham North Primary
School (ENPS) understands and values the importance of sustainable
practices and education.
 The
school began their “Sustainable Schools” journey
in 2003, but had already started to focus on environmental
issues and sustainable practices through implementing the
Science In Schools Project (SiS). When they joined the program,
they had already been accredited as a Smart Water Schools
and had focused on maintaining and developing the native biodiversity
of the school grounds.
Eltham North Primary quickly received their first “star”
as they embedded sustainability into the school culture, and
made the commitment to review and improve the schools practices
and make meaningful links within the whole school curriculum.
Their Sustainable platform challenges and engages teachers
and students to grow as passionate learners and leaders who
are connected and motivated, demonstrating practical change
to school operations and life long behavioural change in using
resources more wisely.
Eltham North Primary has several Environmental Leaders.
These skilled students are enthusiastic about the environment
and are “experts” in the classroom. They are responsible
for many things like propagating, composting and writing Environmental
tips that go into the newsletter each week and help the environment
by offering advice to the community about ways in which they
can help.
Placed around the school are signs to tell students, parents
and visitors about how to save water and reduce greenhouse
gases. The signs also inform them about the special projects
and ways in which Eltham North Primary is helping the environment.
Next to the greenhouse there are two murals about the environment,
which were put together by the environmental leaders, to remind
students of why they need to be careful about the environment.
Eltham North Primary are doing a lot of work in terms of
including environmental education into the curriculum, and
are developing sustainability units of work based around VELS.
Since the schools involvement with the Sustainable Schools
program they have implemented some excellent initiatives and
have recently achieved 5 star accreditation. Some of the initiatives
they have implemented are:
• Piloted the ‘Sustainable Household Challenge’
interactive program
• They have put up environmental murals around the school
• Worm farms for organic food waste
• Rubbish Free lunch days
• Installation of an efficiency system that reduces
power consumption of the lights by 10%
• Renewed and upgraded school power supply/board systems
• Flow control efficiency devices on all taps
• Storm water is used in staff toilets, greenhouse and
garden beds
• Installation and upgrade of dual-flush cisterns and
flow control devices in students toilets
• 4,500 and 22,500 litre tanks for irrigation use and
staff toilets
• Greenhouse installed for propagation and planting
program. The greenhouse is one of the schools biggest environmental
achievements alongside the water tank. It was installed in
2004 and everyone in the school is allowed to work in the
greenhouse
• Habitat garden for the Eltham Copper Butterfly
Results from these initiatives have been many and varied.
This includes over 10% reduction in energy use and since their
involvement in the Sustainable Schools Program they have saved
17.7 tonnes of CO2.
The Eltham North PS website http://www.elthamnorthps.vic.edu.au/
is a very informative website with all sorts of information
on the sustainability projects that Eltham North are undertaking,
including examples of new environmental curriculum they are
setting up- check it out!
More
info.
For more information please contact Rachel Farran
or Nikki Waterfall on (03) 9439 9639, email
farran.rachel.e@edumail.vic.gov.au
or waterfall.nikki.n@edumail.vic.gov.au
respectively or go to the Eltham North PS website at http://www.elthamnorthps.vic.edu.au/.
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