Environmental Science
Students across the school have been working hard to care for, maintain and improve our school gardens.
One of the biggest projects completed was the arrival of a large skip to remove accumulated green waste next to the fruit garden. Students worked incredibly hard to clear and fill the skip, removing old garden waste and helping to transform the area. It was fantastic to see students work together and taking pride in making a real difference to our school environment.
The SLC students have been involved in constructing new shelves for the garden shed. Working in teams, students followed instructions, communicated with one another and worked collaboratively to complete the project. I was incredibly proud of the way they demonstrated excellent teamwork, problem-solving and practical skills. Their ability to support one another, share ideas and communicate effectively throughout the project was particularly impressive.
Students continued to clear kikuyu grass and weeds from around the main garden beds. This has been an important step in preparing the garden for our upcoming mulching project, where we will lay down weed matting before adding a generous layer of mulch. This will help suppress weeds, reduce the spread of kikuyu and improve the overall health and appearance of our garden.
We were very excited to receive a $500 Habitat Garden Grant through the Victorian Schools Garden Program. Our MLC and SLC students have been researching and discussing how we can make the best use of the grant to increase biodiversity in our school garden. They have been investigating ideas such as pollinator plants, ground covers, insect hotels, bird and lizard habitats, mulch and ways to improve soil health. Students are now almost ready to decide which features will be the most beneficial for our garden and the wildlife we hope to attract.
Our students have also enjoyed seeing the rewards of their hard work in the garden. FLC, JLC and SLC students harvested produce from the garden and used it to make delicious salad sandwiches, giving them the opportunity to see how the food they grow can make its way from the garden to their plates. Our MLC students have also been using produce from the garden in their Kitchen Program, making a range of dishes including kale chips, carrot salad, spanakopita, kale pesto pasta and spring rolls. It has been wonderful to see students developing an appreciation for fresh, home-grown produce and learning how our garden can provide food for our school community.
Our FLC and JLC students have also been busy learning all about weather. They have explored different types of weather and how weather affects our daily lives, including the clothes we wear and the activities we can do. Students have also been investigating how weather can affect people, plants and animals, making observations and sharing their ideas about changes they can see in the environment around them.
A special shout-out must go to Mr. Luscombe for all his help and support with our garden projects. Mr. Luscombe has worked behind the scenes organising the skip and has also spent a great deal of time fixing numerous things around the garden, including our wheelbarrows and shed. He has also been helping to coordinate our upcoming mulching project. We are incredibly grateful for all of his hard work and the time he puts into helping us in the garden, and he always does it with a smile!
I am very proud of the hard work, teamwork and care students have shown this term. It has been wonderful to see them taking greater responsibility for our school gardens, enjoying the produce they have grown and developing an understanding of how the choices we make can help our environment thrive.
Mrs Yvonne Biskupovic
Environmental Science Teacher
(Heights Campus)