Integrated Studies Kitchen Garden Project
The Integrated Studies faculty started a kitchen garden project with a view to developing an outdoor classroom for students and the rest of the school.
It began as just a few planter pots with a Year 10 class.
But through a grant from the Health Department we were able to develop a compost bin and worm farm and eventually a beautiful herb spiral.
We obtained further assistance during from Bunnings Warringah Mall who donated materials especially some large garden beds, seedlings, soil and compost as well as netting and assistance. The students enjoyed being involved and were given expert instruction.
The faculty began a PBL (Project Based Learning) program with the year 9 and 10 students and the garden was the focus for our topic "Grow to Learn". This involved studying various aspects of organic gardening including the health benefits of growing your own food, plants that heal, gifts that can be made from the garden and toxic or dangerous plants.
A website was developed to assist with the project.
The garden is also being used for the next topic which is "You are what you eat".
Recent additions to the garden include two greenhouses, another compost bin, a garden sculpture and garden bed.
School environmental management plans work across the key learning areas of the curriculum and the whole school community.
We start with local sustainability and over time develop student understanding of how their work contributes globally.
Students and staff manage, observe and monitor our school's resources, waste and physical surroundings, then take on activities to protect and improve our school and the local environment.
Your child will develop an understanding about:
- the relationship between human activities and natural systems
- sustainable management of the earth's resources
- the inter-related nature of processes in the natural environment
- We encourage you to support your child's 'going green' activities, and to help them to learn to care for the environment as part of their everyday lives.