Sustainability

A visit from the Minister for Environment                       - Steve Dimopoulos

We found out late last week that the Minister for Environment wanted to visit Newham Primary School to present us with our 5 Star Resource Smart certificate. Newham Primary School is the only 5 Star Resource Smart school in the Macedon Ranges.  

We received a hand-signed copy of our 5 Star certificate from the Minister.

The Minister spoke with the Sustainability Leaders, helped Leo put the 5th Star on our new gate sign and then presented the school with our framed certificate of recognition.

Our Sustainability Leaders took the Minster for a walk around the grounds, explaining the kitchen garden and the Biodiversity Learning Hub. The Minister was so impressed with the Biodiversity Learning Hub that he took a picture of it himself!

The Minister shared some of the statistics the with our students who assembled for the certificate presentation. Over the nine years of Newham Primary School's involvement in Resource Smart Schools we have:

Saved 92,000 Kilowatts of power, reduced carbon emissions by 96 tonnes and planted over 1000 trees.

Congratulations to  all of our Sustainability Student Leaders over the past 9 years and a special thanks to our current Sustainability Leaders and Ms Fullard.

Resource Smart 

Swan Hill Secondary College brought their Green (ResourceSmart) team for a visit on 10th October. Our Sustainability Leaders gave them a presentation of the work done at the school by our students, and the Swan Hill students took away some useful ideas for their school. 

Outdoor sustainability classes this week

This week the 3/4 class did an amazing job of weeding and mulching the vegetable beds. The 2/3 class watered all our vegetables as the recent rains aren't penetrating the soil very much. The 5/6 class have started working on weed management in the Biodiversity Learning Hub by sheet mulching with cardboard and then laying organic mulch. Everyone worked so hard weeding, filling barrows of mulch and raking.

Indi and Alice found a giant worm when they pulled some weeds from under a log. They carefully put the worm back after sharing their excitement.

Two of our school leaders worked with Jo Thompson who has transformed the frog bog area with weeding and laying mulch. Nice work everyone!