Sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY AT
LYNDHURST PRIMARY SCHOOL
2021 is Lyndhurst’s year to become more mindful of our impact as a school community on the environment. We have all seen some terrible environmental news lately. A recent U.N. report shows that 1 million species are at risk from extinction; another report suggests we have only 12 years left to make critical adjustments before climate change becomes irreversible; and footage of plastic tides washing ashore has become common.
Each month in the newsletter we will be focusing on one area where we can make a difference. It would be wonderful if this message could be communicated at home too, as our actions and choices are absorbed by the students watching us, and that makes everything we do in school and home important. We can communicate a powerful new relationship to the planet just by modelling thoughtfulness about how we use resources.
Some of the topics each month we will be focusing on are recycling, composting, and saving energy. This month we are looking at Water Saving.
The Growing Patch Report March 2021
The Grade 4s have begun working in our Growing Patch this term. Every week two classes have a gardening and a cooking lesson. Under the supervision of the wellbeing team and their teachers the students have been sowing, tending, and learning about the Growing patch and the food it produces.
The lessons connect’s the students with their environment, involves them in cultivating, harvesting and preparing the seasonal food they grow to eat.
During the summer holidays we have been busy keeping the vegetables and fruits growing and have been working hard to get things ready for this year in the garden. We were very fortunate that the Argaet family regularly watered the garden over the hot days to make sure the grade 4s had veggies to cook with.
We have been harvesting lots of veggies from the growing patch including corn, carrots, capsicum, spring onion tomatoes and cucumbers to make delicious corn fritters and a salad. They have also picked peaches and rhubarb to make fruit crumble too.
This term we are planting a couple of new vegetables for our students to try, ready for the winter, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and kale. We are also learning about taking cuttings and seeds from existing plants to garden sustainably
Please come and say hello when we are out watering the garden, it is lovely to chat with so many of you while we are outside each morning and afternoon through the week.
The Wellbeing team
Below are the recipes for the corn fritter and the fruit crumbles
Growing Patch Recipes
Apple & Rhubarb Crumble
Serves 6 people
INGREDIENTS
Apple & Rhubarb
1 tin Apple Slices
425g Rhubarb cut into chunks
50g brown sugar
160g Butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain flour
2 cups rolled oats
½ cup coconut
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Grease an ovenproof dish.
2. Combine rhubarb and sugar and cook in a saucepan for 10 mins until tender. Transfer to the ovenproof dish.
3. Combine flour and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add butter. Using your fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, add the oats and coconut, and mix well. Sprinkle over rhubarb and apple mixture.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until crumble is golden brown. Serve with ice cream or cream.
Growing Patch Recipes
Peach Crumble
Serves 6 people
INGREDIENTS
6/8 Peaches
160g Butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain flour
2 cups rolled oats
½ cup coconut
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Grease an ovenproof dish.
2. Remove the stone from the peaches and slice evenly and place in ovenproof dish.
3. Combine flour and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add butter. Using your fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, add the oats and coconut, and mix well. Sprinkle over the peaches.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until crumble is golden brown. Serve with ice cream or cream.
Growing Patch Recipes
Corn Fritters
Serves 4 people
INGREDIENTS
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs
½ cup cream
½ cup milk
2 cups corn kernels
½ cup chopped spring onions
½ cup grated cheese
Oil for cooking
METHOD
1 Place flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.
2 Use a fork to whisk eggs and milk and cream in a jug and pour gradually into the flour, stirring gently to combine.
3 Fold in corn, spring onions and cheese. Do not over-mix or the fritters will be tough.
4 Pour a small amount of oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat.
5 Drop 1/4 cupsful of mixture into the pan (you’ll have to cook in batches).
6 Cook for about 2-3 mins, until golden brown underneath, then turn and cook the other side.
7 Repeat until all the mixture is used up.