Project Profile

Summary

The funding from this grant has enabled Churchlands Primary School to continue to integrate our environmental work with the school curriculum.

All classes this year entered into the GREAT POTATO GROWING competition. Each class began with 3 seed potatoes, observed them grow, harvested their plot after 12 weeks of growing and cooked them in class. Some classes harvested nearly 100 potatoes from their plot! Students have experienced two ways of growing potatoes, one being the tyre method and the other being the trench method. We discovered that there was more success from the trench method. This activity also taught students the life cycle of a potato, how to care for plants, and how to cook potatoes. Lots of delicious recipes were tried by the students with potato wedges, potato fritters, and stuffed potatoes being some of these.

Due to the increase in parent participation this year, each class was given the opportunity to participate in planting sessions which taught students the valuable skills of how to prepare the soil for vegetable seedlings, and how to care for plants. These real life experiences taught students the life cycle of plants and provided fresh produce that students were able to use in cooking activities.  Students also sold fresh produce to parents at a weekly stall. This enterprise side to the garden taught students how to advertise produce, how to price produce, and the art of handling money at the stall gave students the opportunity to apply their maths skills to work out change.

By providing compost and worm farm demonstrations at Churchlands Primary and offering these information sessions to teachers, parents and student green team members, we have once again educated people on ways to reduce rubbish to landfill. As a result of these workshops (which were run by Mindarie Council and Land care) our school compost heap is now up and running successfully. Students and teachers now  feel empowered to use our compost stations correctly, understanding what types of things can be added to compost rather than sending those items to landfill.  Last week, for the first time, children and parents used school produced compost to prepare garden beds for growing sunflower seeds. Parental participation in the program has not only assisted students but has empowered parents to maintain their own vegetable gardens at home.

The potting mix purchased with grant money has been used to plant young herbs, giving students hands on opportunity to nurture plants and then sell them to parents, therefore sharing the idea of growing herbs from school that can then be grown to full size at home and then eaten.

The school canteen has also been able to use some produce that has been grown from the grant funds.  This has had a positive impact on the environment due to less purchasing and packaging.

We are excited and looking forward to 2011 where we will see even more planting of vegetables due to this grant. It has enabled us to purchase an above ground vegetable planter thus providing more opportunity for classes to have their own area to look after. Mrs Samsa Room 3.

Churchlands Primary School is very appreciative of this kind gesture by Coles. The money has certainly enhanced our environmental program. Mr Bray (Principal)

Photography

Churchlands Primary School