Our School Journey

From 2006 onward, Environment & Sustainability has become a priority within the WNPS School Strategic plan. Each year the Watsonia North Primary School Annual Implementation plan has included key improvement strategies for Environment & Sustainability practices.

Our overall school sustainability goals include the following:

  • Reducing total energy use
  • Reducing total waste
  • Reducing total water use
  • Protecting, enhancing, restoring the native biodiversity around us
  • Reducing the volume of harmful emissions released (eg, greenhouse gas)

During this time we have seen the school make some significant environmental achievements. These include:

  • Commenced journey in becoming a Resource Smart School
  • Establishment of a student action team- Green Team
  • Extensive professional develop for all staff with CERES

Complementing these achievements are curriculum programs and activities aimed at developing student knowledge and understandings relating to sustainability:

  • Our Environment & Sustainability Project team vision statement:
    To develop student and staff knowledge about the environment and its resources and promote attitudes and practices that support environmental sustainability.
  • Development of Inquiry learning with a focus on environment and sustainability measures and practices from Prep to Year 6.
  • Provision of excursions/incursions for students to support work in classroom (eg, visits by Edendale and CERES staff).
  • Provision of staff professional development sessions.

Our school is now a part of the national framework for sustainability in schools the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative AuSSI Vic.

Our school is in the process of re accreditation with Resource Smart Schools

Key achievements in this area include:

  • Energy reduction in workplace/daily operations such as promoting Walk to School Days, Baseline Data for Energy Use completed on Resource Smart
  • Professional Development for staff on waste reduction within the school.  The school Participates in Resource Smart and Solar Projects.
  • Maintenance regimes implemented, Energy monitoring systems in place and figures on SETS, Green Purchasing Policy developed and used. Computer sleep times established. Shut down energy regimes established.
  • Use of solar collection systems.
  • De-lamping and re-lamping (to energy efficient globes) programs implemented. Installation of 4,5,or 6 star appliances where appropriate, Security lighting clean and timing set to operate effectively. Correct use of ceiling fans.
  • Classroom Action Plans and Environmental.
  • Inquiries are included in the curriculum. Learning and Teaching in the classroom are linked to practical hands on activities.
  • Student ‘Green Team’ is operating and take responsibility for classroom activities and program in sustainable issues.
  • Energy policies, targets and action plans approved by School Council. Regular communication of energy activities and programs provided to the whole school through assemblies, annual school reports and newsletters.

Green Team

School Environment Leadership established through students is instituted in the school through the WNPS Green Team initiative. This is an active operating student group. These students are involved in planning and managing activities and programs.

Our new Green Team for 2021 has already been active working on different projects around the school. They have assessed our Biodiversity within the school and created goals to improve this. The Green Team are working on planting an Italian Herb Garden and reducing our weeds around the school. They have also assessed what animals live in our school and how we can increase habitats for them. This has been improved by building bird boxes, possum boxes and a bug hotel. The Green Team have created signs to stay off the garden and to not pick our fruit trees. They continually reinforce our vision to have a litter free environment by putting rubbish in the bins provided.

Initiatives

Some initiatives that the Green Team drive yearly are, although not limited to:

  • Clean up Australia Day
  • National Ride2SchoolDay
  • World Veterinary Day
  • World Environment Day
  • Plastic Free July
  • National Tree Day
  • Keep Australia Beautiful Week
  • National Walk to Work Day
  • Enviroweek
  • National Recycling Week

Students educate each other and work together to care for the environment.

How we are tracking

Updated April 2021.