Sustainability @ TPPS
There was a big buzz in the Sustainability Room on Open Night! It was great to see our community thinking about ways to be sustainable at home and creating a beautiful little tree together.
During Sustainability classes our Prep students have been investigating seeds. There are so many different seeds in the world of all sizes and shapes. We are trying to germinate popcorn kernels because we found out that they are seeds too. If you look in the window of the Sustainability Room, you can find out if our experiment is working or not. First we put a wet paper towel in a ziplock bag and then put in some popcorn kernels. Then we hung them in a sunny spot next to the window. We are hoping that the water wakes up the seed and the sun helps them grow.
Wish us luck!!
Grade 5 have been congratulated on participating in the Say Cheese For Trees video competition. Although we didn’t win any prizes, their creativity, music and dance elements and factual information about trees made their videos very entertaining to watch. Amazing effort to all Grade 5 students!
The next big thing for Grade 5 is our fundraiser. This year, they decided between these two causes:
- Wildlife Rescuers (Murrindindi Ranges Wildlife shelter based in Melbourne) - Raising money to buy a roobulance – an ambulance for injured kangaroos. They still need another $11, 000 to be able to buy one.
Koalas (Australian Koala Foundation) - Koalas are one of Australia’s most iconic species – and now officially listed as Endangered in parts of the country. These tree-dwelling marsupials rely on eucalyptus forests for food and shelter, but face growing threats from deforestation, disease, and climate change. AKF is working to protect koalas and restore their habitat – and you can help safeguard their future.
It was close but this year - koalas won! If you would like to support the great work of the Murrundindi Ranges Wildlife Shelter, you can find out more about them here: https://www.mycause.com.au/charity/24319/MurrindindiRangesWildlifeShelter
Grade 5 will be learning all about koalas and the challenges they face, and then thinking of ways we can raise money to help them. Exciting times!
Our Grade 6 students have been spending time in the garden and learning some traditional skills in a modern way. We investigated the age-old method of making rope and tried it out with empty bread bags. There are so many ways to upcycle bread bags: like using them for dog poop bags, to store shoes when travelling, to grow seedlings in, and also to use as a type of durable yarn called “plarn”. We cut the bags into even strips and twisted the strips into a tight and secure rope. Plarn rope is great for gardening, camping and even skipping ropes! Some people crochet or weave using plarn to create bags or mats.
