Sustainabilty Group
Sustainability news
Sir Flipper the sea turtle’s new home
This year the Sustainability Group Leaders have worked very hard to improve the sustainability of our school, they are all so dedicated and have such great ideas and enthusiasm. For our last Sustainability news for 2025 I would like to share the many tasks they have performed this year. Every week this fantastic group of students have given up their lunchtimes, shared their ideas, worked hard on different projects and have been so very dependable and responsible.
This year the SGL have:
- Completed whole school audits of biodiversity, water and waste and then made recommendations that have been added to Wales Street’s Resource Smart school’s plan.
- Attended a Resource Smart School Student Summit and decided on actions to improve our biodiversity and reduce our waste as well.
- Organised the ‘Wear it Wild’ day which raised $1,100 for the World Wildlife Fund.
- For raising so much money Wales Street was awarded a mystery animal, which turned out to be a sea turtle. The SGL voted to name the turtle ‘Sir Flipper’. They made a habitat for Sir Flipper and signage with facts about the sea turtle and you can see him at his new home at the office.
- Proudly worn the SGL’s new badges made from wood with our logo. (Thank you Kasey and Antony for designing and making them for us for free!)
- Helped to implement the container deposit scheme around our school by making and monitoring boxes. The money they raise from the CDS will go towards buying nesting boxes to improve our biodiversity score.
- Spoke regularly at Assembly to let our Wales Street community know about our initiatives.
- Made videos of what waste to put in what bins for staff and students.
- Designed and made ‘Insect hotels’ and posters around the school to make our community aware of the things we can do to be more sustainable.
- Currently, they are conducting a campaign to convince Darebin Council that Wales Street should receive a Green Waste bin collection each week. They have written persuasive letters and will be filming a short film to share (by adults!!) on social media to convince the council that it is the right thing to do.
- Last but not least the SGL has started the lunchtime club, ‘The Seedlings’ for Foundation to Grade 3, out of their insistence that the younger students should be involved in some way. They have handed out equipment, monitored student involvement by keeping track of attendance and have made certificates for students returning to help for four lunchtimes.
Our Sustainability Group Leaders on Wear it Wild day
This year we welcomed our super dedicated Grade 4 students: Teodora Kostic, Ellen Stanic, Isabella Boukaris, Coco Clark, Ruby Alexopoulos, Ivana Papadakos, Saskia Morrell, Teresa Merkovski, Emily Rutherford, Mila Veljanoska, Poppy Lourey and Natalie Chittams. Thank you all for all your help and enthusiasm!
Our Grade 5 student members will no doubt be snapped up for Grade 6 Leadership positions and unfortunately, will probably not have time for the SGL in 2026. Our huge thanks go to: Jack Rayner, Finn Nixon, Penny Forbes, Grace Cameron, Matilda Christensen, Lydia Coglin, Saskia Enright, Isabelle Christou, Chloe Barrett, Oliver Haridy-Ellis, Emily Chapman, Henrietta Lourey and Jessica Hynes for all your help, ingenuity and perseverance in 2024 and this year. You have been absolute SUPERSTARS!!
The students' actions have helped Wales Street to be able to complete 2 out of the 5 modules needed to be a fully-fledged Resource Smart School.
Wishing everyone a sustainable Christmas and an environmentally sound New Year! Lots of goals to kick in 2026 and I look forward to sharing them with you in the Newsletter next year!
Yours in Sustainability,
Toby Marquette
Wales Street Sustainability Co-Ordinator