Sustainability Festival

SCHOOLS SUSTAINABILITY FESTIVAL - 5th September

From Mme Wilson

I am extremely proud of the students who attended the Schools Sustainability Festival last week. They have worked really hard on their project for all of this term, so they would be ready to present it at the festival. The students showed commitment to the project by meeting every Wednesday at lunch time, sewing fabric squares together, and teaching their friends how to do it too. Our ES staff member Phoebe even showed us a fabulous bag made from fabric odds and ends! At the festival, students successfully ran their workshops, explaining the problem of textiles going to landfill, and demonstrating a solution. Everyone enjoyed overcoming the initial challenges, and some members of the group are keen to continue making blankets. What we make will be donated to St Kilda Mums, so they can give the blankets to people in need.

From Miss Liddell

Firstly, the students made a 'Beach in a bottle'.

Next they learned about the trash problem happening at St. Josephs school. St. Josephs investigated that there were a lot of wrappers in the school yard. They decided to start a 'Wrapper free Wednesday' initiative where students are encouraged to pack a lunch without food wrappers. Our students then brainstormed what the issues are at CJC.

Next, they met with Caroline Martin who designed the Boonwurrung Walter-Gurn (Possum Skin Cloak) on display in the entrance of St Kilda Town Hall. Here is a link to the information on the Port Philip Website https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/explore-the-city/first-peoples/first-peoples-arts/boonwurung-walert-possum-skin-cloak

The colours of the cloak are from something called 'OCHRE' which is a mineral found around Port Phillip Bay. It’s used for pigment by Aboriginal Peoples in clothing and art.

Lastly they spoke with the Jane Goodall Institute Australia for their talk on 'Roots and Shoots'. They learned that the institute volunteers at the mud islands in Port Phillip Bay to engage in Marine Conservation and sea splurge removal. The students received a dwarf wattle seed that they put inside some clay. They shaped their clay into an animal that you would find in Port Phillip Bay. (Reef shark, sea horse, dolphin, etc.) Once the clay dries, they are encouraged to save their seed ball until spring where they can throw it in the ground and hopefully a tree will bloom from it.

Let's hear it from the kids!

From Aidan 5/6A

Coming in from CJC, ten students have been selected to go to a sustainability festival. We go into the deep thoughts of Aidan, one of the ten students to attend the festival. Aidan says: “I think that today was astonishing and fun. My favourite part was when the Indigenous talk was on, and we learnt so much about the history of the First Nations people in this area. I also enjoyed when we ran the workshop we were doing, by making a quilt out of reused fabric that was going to be thrown out. I really enjoyed sewing the squares together and look forward to making another quilt too.”

From Myles 5/6B

Thursday was very fun and good. We learnt a lot, mostly on sustainability and Indigenous people. I loved where we made toothpaste that was vanilla and coconut flavoured. I also loved when we used leaves to make bracelets and headbands. The day was very good and the staff were very nice. It was organised very well.

From Oli 5/6A

The Schools Sustainability Festival was fun! I learnt a lot from the different schools’ workshops and they were super interesting. It was a great event where we all learnt lots about the environment, First Nations cultures and the impact humans have on the earth.

From Claudia 5C

On Thursday we went to the Schools Sustainability Festival. In the morning we went on the tram and took it all the way to St Kilda Town Hall. There were 25 other schools there. Firstly, we went to a workshop where we made a beach in a bottle. It was really cool and fun. Then, for the second workshop, St Joseph’s told us all about the rubbish problem at their school and how they found out a way to solve it. We brainstormed our own rubbish problems and how we could solve them. We had morning tea, which was really good muffins. After all that, we presented our own presentation. We had made a patchwork quilt out of fabric that was going to be thrown out. We taught other students how to stitch and everyone had a great time.

From Delilah 5/6A

I had a really fun time learning about Australia’s history and nature. I had a lot of fun showing students from other schools our workshop. I also had fun visiting workshops made by other students. I enjoyed the opening ceremony that taught us about where the First Nations people settled around Port Phillip Bay.

From Noa 5/6B

We went to a sustainability fair last week. I learnt how to make toothpaste, about leaves, and tons of other things. CJC presented a quilt. We used scrap fabrics that would have gone to landfill, and turned them into a patchwork blanket. Every blanket we make we are donating to St Kilda Mums.

VICTORIAN MARINE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM September 3rd

From Elliot (6F)

On Tuesday I participated in the Term 3 ambassador workshop, where we learnt about our beautiful bay - Port Phillip Bay. I went to Frankston and we went to a wetlands where we examined a storm water drain. After that we did some water testing. During the testing we found that the water had a very high level of phosphorus because of all the leaves in it. After lunch we went to the beach and we did a big clean up. Afterwards, we examined what we realised that there were less cans, bottles and glasses.