As a part of their Inquiry learning where the students were developing skills in team work and how to contribute to the community, the Year 3s have begun to work towards creating a garden. This garden will not only grow vegetables for the students but become part of a sustainable project that aims to encompass and compliment a whole school approach to sustainable practice. I interviewed two boys from that level about what they were up to.

Isaac of 3 Blue and Lucas of 3 Red told me that they had already cooked up a meal using the produce from their garden. They have grown vegetables because they ‘keep you healthy.’ As a result, they made cheesy pasta using celery, carrots, mint leaves, chives, beans, peas, broccolini and onions.

The Year 3s who were involved got to have a taste of this dish. ‘If you grow your own things then you know it’s fresh. There were no insects either’, said Lucas.

The students were also in the process of selling rocket and parsley seedlings in recycled slushy paper cups. The money raised would go towards buying more seeds and soil.

When asked about other ways the school could become sustainable the boys suggested that the rest of the school could become involved in the building up of our compost bins by throwing apple cores, banana peels and newspaper in \\\’for the bugs and worms to eat and make squishy. Then we could put it back into the garden bed to help make the soil healthy and this would let us to grow lots more plants for the school and community\\\’. The boys also thought that signs could be displayed around the school explaining how we are putting into place sustainable practices, like the water tanks that flush our toilets.

Isaac and Lucas also believe that every class should be learning about sustainable practices.

‘If the whole school as well as mums and dads can help that would be a good idea because we need lots of people to keep everything happening because it is worthwhile looking after our school,’ said the boys.

Kriss Oliver
Contemporary Learning Leader