Principal Report

TREE DAY 2024

Today we acknowlegded Tree Day by each class planting a native shrub or small tree. Our school environment is becoming more and more nature focused over this year and we can't wait until all our garden spaces are bigger and more lush.

Thank you to Freya's Mum, Alex, for sourcing and using her time to go get 17 plants. 

Thank you to Mr McAlister (Yes, Ms McAlister's husband) for coming up and digging the 17 holes for our classes.

The excitement and the togetherness that I saw when grades were doing this activity was terrific and hopefully this also helps protect our plants, as all students have had education around caring for and protecting our native plants to thrive.

CERES - Wildlife Garden

Thank you to Ceres with providing us with the grant to create our wildlife garden. 

Our Green Team were the obvious choice to participate in this program as there were a few incursions to learn about biodiversity, native plants and soil testing. 

Incursion #2: Knowledge about developing a Wildlife Garden / Selecting plants/ soil testing.

Preparing our garden bed with compost to enrich our soil for the plants.

Incursion #3: PLANTING Day has arrived.

What is Next for the Green Team?

We will get a deleivery of mulch in the coming weeks and this will need to be spread out over the garden bed. Then we have some further ideas to make this space even more attractive with some rocks and logs etc and maybe even making a few bird houses.

The Green Team meet every Thursday lunchtime and so they will keep an eye on this garden bed and water it - they will also be monitoring our Indigenous  Garden as well.

Indigenous Garden

Classrooms are all undertaking some Naidoc week activities and one inclusion is to learn about our new indigenous garden space which contains a yarning circle. 

Dimi and I met with our Network Koorie Education Liaison Officer before the end of term to discuss a respectful lesson plan to share the understandings of the purposes of a cultural yarning circle and the use of a talking stick. 

Steven, (KESO) also advised us of people to contact to officially get a name for our garden space, as there is a respectful process to undertake. We will endeavour to begin this soon.

I also wanted to thank the number of parent who were also able to assist with this information and offerered advice and assistance.

Landscaper details:

Bunya Gardens was founded in 2019 by Tom Barry. His interest in Indigenous plants grew through horticulture studies, and he decided to dedicate his work to indigenous plants to increase biodiversity, promote healthier ecosystems and educate the community.  Indigenous plants are those that have evolved to specific areas of Melbourne. Through planting these species at Pascoe Vale Primary School, he hopes the children get to see the native birds and insects that they will attract, and for the students to learn how these plants were used by the Traditional Owners of the land.  Bunya Gardens work predominantly in the northern and western suburbs of Melbourne and loves seeing the community getting involved in revegetation. 

If you are interested in seeing more Bunya Gardens projects, head to Instagram.com/bunyagardens.