Sustainability

On Thursday the 7th of December, the Year Fives had their last session with Alex from the Port Phillip Eco Centre for the Tomorrow’s Leaders in Sustainability Program. In the session students potted seeds to take home in biodegradable material. One of the ways they made a pot was with toilet rolls. Three cuts were made at the bottom and then folded in, before filling with soil and seeds. The other was a newspaper planter box, made by folding the paper three times, wrapping around a pot to shape it and the bottom of the paper folded in and pushed down.  Alex said that while plastic punnets can be reused, they are made out of plastic and can end up in the ocean. The class talked about the about the benefits of using cardboard because it is biodegradable.

After potting their plants, the Year Fives got into a reflection circle, which they had done on multiple occasions during the program. The students reflected on what they had learnt and any wonderings they had. Some of the main takeaways were: 

• How animals can help. Lyrebirds stop fires clears the leaves that are fuel for fire. 
• That we would need five earths for all the resources if everyone lived like we do in Victoria.
• E-waste
• You should reuse and repurpose plastic. 
• Biodegradable materials should be used instead of plastic.
• Even though we have biodegradable materials people still choose other, less environmentally friendly ones.
• Plastic takes a long time to degrade. For example, the nappies you wore as a child would still be in landfill. 
• What resources made what products. For example, you make plastic from oil. 

Afterwards the Year Fives did a dance to help them remember the solutions to our world problems: The lyrics were: rethink, reuse, reduce, refuse, recycle.

Finally, Alex gave each student a certificate as they are now Graduates of Tomorrow’s Leaders of Sustainability. A huge congratulations to: Gus, Ollie, Kirra, Freddy, Freddie, Sam, Hunter, Ava, Ruby, Issy, Saige, Sally, Mila, Zali, Nina, Hayden, Stirling, Aliyah, Aiobhe, Joe, Abby, Noah, James, Harrison, Jake and Caleb. 

We would like to say thank you again, to Alex and her great work with the Year Fives. Hopefully students will start thinking of projects to undertake at our school and even present at the Schools’ Sustainability Festival next year.