Administration News
After seeing several of our boarders walk past me at lunchtime this week carrying bags of herbs and vegetables from the GSG Market Garden, I felt inspired to highlight one of the school course offerings in this edition of The Boarding Buzz.
Diane Thomas is the Sustainable Production Coordinator at Great Southern Grammar and offers the course elective Sustainable Production to students in Years Seven to Ten. Many of our boarders from these year groups have chosen this course as one of their electives and it's safe to say that the students love this class. Herbs and vegetables are regularly on offer for staff and students to take home.
Last year, the Year Nine class were kind enough to put together succulent arrangements for our Year Twelve Boarders farewell dinner.
This week, Rebekah Henderson, our Marketing and Communications Manager, and I visited Di’s Year Seven Sustainability class, where 11 newly hatched chicks have recently arrived. Most of them have already been named, with the final three names still being chosen. Three of our Year Ten boarders also popped in to visit from the Hospitality class next door and Elina Caelli mentioned that when the chickens get bigger, some will be going home with her to Ravensthorpe.
Mrs Dianne Franzinelli | Boarding Administrator
Sustainable Production Report
Our Sustainable Production garden, rooted in permaculture principles, doubles as a kitchen garden. Many of our fresh eggs and vegetables are used by Hospitality students in their culinary creations. We have a flock of chickens that help us maintain the garden by clearing weeds and pests from spent vegetable plots. Once they've done their job, we move them to the next area in need of their services.
Year Seven students spend a term planting seasonal vegetables and using mulch to conserve water and suppress weeds. The boarders especially enjoy their time outdoors, connecting with the plants, soil, and animals. It's not uncommon to see them cuddling a chook!
Students in Years Eight to Ten the students plan and implement a project for one or two semesters. They might choose to grow specific plants, practice propagation, or learn more about raising chickens. Recently, one group used science to try to keep chillies alive through winter, while another explored the economic, health, and environmental benefits of growing your own vegetables.
Our garden also offers hands-on learning experiences like raising chickens, beekeeping, composting, and seed banking. We recently hatched a batch of eleven Grammar Grown chickens from eggs incubated from Nugget and the hens.
Ms Diane Thomas | Sustainability Production Coordinator