At the College, we have adopted many sustainable solutions such as the provision of Fair-Trade coffee and tea in our staff rooms, installation of energy efficient appliances (heating/cooling), replacement of LED lighting through all buildings, utilisation of rain water tanks and for all new builds, we always add solar panelling. We are also looking at ways to increase our composting capabilities..
ResourceSmart School
We are taking action to become a more environmentally sustainable school through a Victorian Government initiative called ResourceSmart Schools.
ResourceSmart Schools is a program that helps our school embed sustainability in everything we do. We are aiming to reduce our resource use (electricity, waste and water) plus support Indigenous plants and animals. This will also help us to save money. We also want to involve students, families and other members of our College and our local community.
In April this year we heard that Sustainability Victoria have certified our Core module and we will receive our first star! We are proud to have worked so hard as a school to establish the ground work for the Core module and are now working toward our second module of Waste – looking at our practices so that we can reduce the amount of waste produced. This will not only help the environment but will help reduce costs of removing waste.
We cannot wait to share our achievements with you and contribute to a sustainable future for all. You can find out further information regarding ResourceSmart Schools at https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/schools
Planting the Seed Program
Planting the Seed Project is a collaboration between Eco Warriors Australia, Ecology and Restoration Australia, Kingston Council and Kilbreda College. A grant of $7,300 was awarded to the project from the Port Phillip Bay Fund and supplies were donated from Mitre 10 in Cheltenham. We have also received a Junior Landcare grant of approx. $5,000. These grants will support the ecologists and supplies needed for the project.
The Planting the Seed Project is giving our students students the opportunity to restore an area of degraded native vegetation along the Mentone Foreshore. The project has improved students’ understanding of the activities needed to enhance local biodiversity and is giving them a direct understanding of the actions needed to protect our environment.
Learning Outcomes
Students have been taught about native flora and fauna identification and learnt how plants adapt to and compete within a coastal environment. This learning occured within the broader context of threats to our coastal environment and how students themselves can act to conserve and enhance biodiversity in their area. Students have delved deep into the cultural significance of native plants and animals through learning about their traditional uses and stories. They were asked to focus on sustainability throughout the project. For example, they collected recycled materials for plant propagation to reduce waste, which has improved their awareness of issues relating to sustainability.
Activities
Resources provided by Ecology and Restoration Australia were used to teach students in Year 9 Environmental Science and Sustainability (elective, four lessons per cycle) about environmental restoration.
This year, students have experimented growing cuttings and seeds collected from the site on Mentone Foreshore. The cuttings were taken from a variety of species and were grown on three different soil mixes. While we didn’t have much success growing the cuttings, two species were more successful and the soil mix did not have a observable effect.
Our Planting Day was a huge success on 19 April. The Year 9 Environmental Science students and the Environmental Action leaders from Years 8 to 12 spent three hours planting 650 seedlings at our site on the Foreshore! A mix of grasses, ground covers, herb and shrub species were planted – all local native species. Plant protectors were installed to give the seedlings the best chance of surviving. We will continue to monitor the site.
Laudato Si’ Goals
Kilbreda College is adopting the Laudato Si’ goals as our framework to guide our actions for both social and environmental justice.
Laudato Si’ is an encyclical written by Pope Francis in May 2015. Translated as ‘praise be to you’, the encyclical is a letter that addresses catholic communities worldwide. Pope Francis focuses on the social and ecological crisis that exists in our world today and what we can do to ensure we preserve our planet for future generations.
In the encyclical, Pope Francis emphasises our responsibility to respond to both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. This year, our community has chosen to focus on:
Goal 2: Response to the cry of the poor
Goal 4: Adoption of sustainable lifestyles
Foreshore Program
Since 2004, several of our Year 8 students visit the Mentone Foreshore monthly to participate in the ‘Foreshore Program’. During their time in the program, the students learn valuable information from the City of Kingston in regard to cleaning and preserving the foreshore for the many people that utilise it and the wild and sea life who inhabit it. The sessions include removing rubbish and planting indigenous vegetation. It is a very rewarding program for students to see the many thriving plants, planted by students before them and the positive impact that they are making.
Sustainability Group
We have an active and passionate Sustainability Group here at the College. Each year, Student Leaders are elected from each year level. Their role is to promote awareness of environmental and sustainability issues both locally and globally, and to encourage actions that result in more sustainable use of resources. In 2021, we expanded our school vegetable garden and look forward to students using this resource to learn about growing food and composting.
We also have a group of staff, both teachers and non-teaching staff, who have joined the group and are keen to help implement changes to improve Sustainability at our College and the wider community.