Building and Grounds
Spring Update from the Masterplan, Grounds & Enviro Team
With spring in full bloom, our team has been hard at work behind the scenes, focusing on the Masterplan consultation and implementation while maintaining our beautiful gardens.
Upcoming Working Bee
Join us for our next Working Bee on Sunday, September 8th, from 10 AM to 2 PM. Everyone is welcome! This is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the school and connect with the TPS community. As we prepare for the first stage of building works over the summer holidays, we need help organizing items in the bike shed, garden shelter, and shipping container. Additionally, we will be putting together garden beds & irrigation, weeding, mulching, repairing outdoor furniture and tidying up the garden beds at the school entrance. Your help makes a big difference!
Signyup for all or part of the day SIGNUP: https://signup.com/go/BHbXfTv
Babajen Garden
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve received funding from the Nelson Alexander Foundation to create a breakout space and garden around the Babajen area. Our Grade 5/6 students contributed to the designs and we’re currently gathering quotes to start the work. If you have experience in landscaping or can assist with building outdoor furniture, placing large boulders with a bobcat, or making stencils or stenciling designs into concrete, we’d love your help.
Many thanks to TPS community member Josie Wilson of Josie Wilson Design for transforming the students' ideas into a cohesive and beautiful landscape plan.
Please reach out if you can volunteer your time or skills or have professional services in this area.
Donations
We are lucky to have been donated some second hand Biofilta Foodwall wicking bed systems as well as three huge orange edible Island planters. These will make our garden more accessible to all while allowing for optimum growing conditions for food production. TPS are lucky to have a family donate some purpose-built possum boxes for our furry friends who love to sneak into visit the chickens. Hopefully they will love their new home & leave the chickens alone!
Caring for the Chickens
Our TPS chickens are lovingly cared for by a dedicated group of families who visit them before and after school, as well as during holidays. They handle everything from trimming the chickens' feathery fringes to administering medication, cleaning the pen and ensuring they’re well-fed. We are currently looking for volunteers to help care for the chickens on Mondays. If you’re interested, please let us know.
Victorian Schools Garden Grant
We’re excited to share that TPS has been awarded a VegTrug raised garden bed Grant by the Victorian Schools Garden Program. Sponsored by Takasho this raised garden bed, complete with a wire netting cover & side table, will allow everyone in our school community to grow fresh produce in an accessible garden bed. We’re eagerly awaiting its arrival in the coming weeks and look forward to a bountiful harvest.
Current Building Works
You may have noticed the new ramps installed around the school, making our campus more accessible. Thank you for your patience as we continue to improve our facilities.
How You Can Help
The Enviro Team always welcomes assistance in the gardens, whether it’s before or after school or on weekends. If you have plants to donate for our plant stalls, seeds we can grow or sell, or any other support to offer, please reach out to the Enviro Team at tpsenviro@gmail.com.
For information on the Building and Masterplan, contact tpsmasterplan@gmail.com.