Buckets of Fun Learning About Water

Throughout this term, the JP students have been learning about Life-Giving Water. Our deep hope was that our children would come to understand water as God’s precious and essential gift for all life—and to learn how to be good stewards of this gift. This theme aligned perfectly with our MECS thread of Justice Seeker. A justice seeker is someone who recognises injustice and strives to make things fair and kind. They seek to make the world a better place by following God’s teachings about loving and supporting others.

We began the term by opening the Bible and reading the creation story. God created water to sustain life throughout His creation. For this reason, water is often used in the Bible as a symbol of abundant life. This was emphasised by Jesus when He told the Samaritan woman in John 4 that He could give her “living water” that would never need to be replenished.

The JP students explored the MECS grounds to see how our school collects and uses water. We were impressed by the water pump in the Kindergarten and surprised to discover the massive water tanks located around our gym. Water samples from across the school gave us insight into the differences in water quality between tank water and Melbourne tap water. We certainly wouldn’t want to drink a glass of water from the Year 9 pond!

The culmination of the term was our JP Water Day. Each JP class rotated through a series of water-based activities. A representative from South East Water visited and spoke to us about our role as Water Watchers, encouraging us not to waste this precious resource at home.

We read and responded to the Australian book Rain Dance by Cathy Applegate. Rain Dance tells the story of an Australian farming family struggling through a two-year drought. When the rain finally comes, the family responds with a dance of joy and relief, capturing the beauty of the moment when much-needed rain arrives.

We also built marble runs and connected 5-volt water pumps to create fountains that continuously recycled water down the marble run tracks.

The highlight of Water Day was an experience we hoped would be transformative for the JP students. Throughout the term, they were reminded that for many children around the world, access to clean drinking water cannot be taken for granted. We watched videos of women and children walking long distances to collect enough water to meet their immediate needs. We considered the impact on a child’s education when they miss school to fetch water or become unwell from drinking contaminated water. We explored the work of Tearfund Australia and discussed how even a small donation could make a big difference in the life of a child in another country.

Finally, we filled buckets, jugs, and other containers with water and walked a kilometre around the school grounds—careful not to spill this precious resource—putting ourselves in the shoes of a child who must walk much farther every day. The children returned to class with wet sleeves from water sloshing down their arms and a renewed sense of thankfulness for the clean, accessible water we enjoy in Melbourne.

In reflecting on the day, the children shared many lessons they had learned about water conservation and the importance of water around the world. It is our hope and prayer that the children will not only seek justice in ensuring equitable access to water for all people, but also come to see Jesus as their one and only source of living water.

Louise Griffiths

Primary Teacher JPE