The ResourceSmart Schools Awards 2016, Victoria’s largest sustainability awards program, was held on Friday Nov 11th in the IMAX theatre at the Melbourne Museum. As always, Sustainability Victoria put on a wonderful event to recognise and celebrate the inspiring achievements of finalist schools, centres, and teachers.

Now in it’s 9th year, the awards received a whopping 206 entries, the largest to date. Over the 16 categories, CERES works with 18 out of the 43 finalist schools (highlighted below in purple), delivering the ResourceSmart Schools program. Since 2008, over half of Victorian schools (or 1,200 schools) have participated in this program; CERES currently delivers ResourceSmart Schools to 325 schools and 13 early childhood centres.

Congratulations to one of our schools and this year’s ResourceSmart School of the Year – Banyule Primary School! We’re extremely proud of Banyule Primary School and all of our finalist schools and teachers (9 won their category!), and excited that they have been recognised for all their hard work.

Here are the winners of the ResourecSmart Schools Awards 2016…

ResourceSmart School of the Year 2016

Winner: Banyule Primary School

Finalist – Badger Creek Primary School
Finalist – Truganina South Primary School
Finalist – Warracknabeal College

Energy Primary School of the Year

Winner: St Joseph’s Primary School, Elsternwick

Finalist – Koonwarra Village School
Finalist – Manchester Primary School
Finalist – Werribee Primary School

Energy Secondary School of the Year

Winner: Brentwood Secondary College

Finalist – Braybrook College
Finalist – Princes Hill Secondary College
Finalist – St Joseph’s College (Geelong)

Community Leadership Primary School of the Year

Winner: Moorabbin Primary School

Finalist – Badger Creek Primary School
Finalist – St Louis De Montforts Primary
Finalist – St Joseph’s Primary Crib Point

Community Leadership Secondary School of the Year

Winner: Catholic Regional College (St. Albans)

Finalist – St Josephs College (Geelong)
Finalist – Outdoor Education School Bogong
Finalist – Maffra Secondary College

Early Childhood Service of the Year

Winner: Goodstart Early Learning Centre, Morwell

Finalist – Heathmont East Pre-school
Finalist – Springside Kindergarten
Finalist – Clarendon Children’s Centre, South Melbourne

Student-led Action Primary Team of the Year

Winner: Glengarry Primary School

Finalist – Mildura West Primary School
Finalist – St Joseph’s Elsternwick
Finalist – The Patch Primary School

Student-led Action Secondary Team of the Year

Winner: Naranga Special School

Finalist – Portland Secondary College
Finalist – Swan Hill Secondary College
Finalist – Point Cook Secondary College

Water Primary School of the Year

Winner: St Louis De Montforts Primary School

Finalist – Badger Creek Primary School
Finalist – Truganina South Primary School
Finalist – Deer Park North Primary School

Water Secondary School of the Year

Winner: Williamstown High School

Finalist – Warracknabeal Secondary
Finalist – Ringwood Secondary College
Finalist – Wedderburn College

Biodiversity Primary School of the Year

Winner: The Patch Primary School

Finalist – Badger Creek Primary School
Finalist – Mildura West Primary School
Finalist – Moorabbin Primary School

Biodiversity Secondary School of the Year

Winner: Damascus College Ballarat

Finalist – Braybrook College
Finalist – St Monica’s College
Finalist – Croydon Community School, Worri Yallock Farm School Campus

Waste Primary School of the Year

Winner: St Kilda Primary School

Finalist – Caulfield South Primary School
Finalist – Mentone Primary School
Finalist – St Macartans Primary School

Waste Secondary School of the Year

Winner: Warracknabeal Secondary

Finalist – Lorne Aireys-Inlet P-12 College
Finalist – Naranga Special School
Finalist – St Josephs College, (Geelong)

Primary Teacher of the Year

Winner: Maree Bailey (Mentone Primary School)

Finalist – Courtney Deacon (Banyule Primary School)
Finalist – Sandra Surace (St Catherine’s Primary School, Moorabbin)
Finalist – Heather-May Buzza (Truganina South Primary School)

Secondary Teacher of the Year

Winner: Kate Morgan (Warracknabeal Secondary College)

Finalist – Jacqui Godfrey (Ringwood Secondary College)
Finalist – Ben Lawless (Aitken College)
Finalist – Ben Coleman (St Monica’s College, Epping)

Sustainability Victoria have produced a ResourceSmart Schools Awards 2016 Booklet with sustainability stories from all winners and finalists.

Visit the Sustainability Victoria website for more on the awards.