Websites of Interest
www.ecoliteracy.org (smart by nature – schooling for sustainability)
http://communitygarden.org.au/garden.org.au
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Christmas Treats!
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| The creative juices are at work! |
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| Advice is offered to younger students! |
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| They are nearly too good to eat! |
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| A fun way to celebrate the end of St Pat's Kitchen Garden language groups for 2010! |
Nano's Nature Nurturers
Nano’s Nature Nurturers
Inaugural meeting held at Nano Cottage Kitchen Garden-10 May 2010
*8th anniversary of the Opening of Nano Cottage
Present: Michael Siciliano: Acting Principal
Charlotte Gourlie: 3G
Sandra Russo: 3R
Clare Maloney: Itinerant Teacher: Communication
Meeting opened with the quote:
“Give people a fish and feed them for a day, teach people to fish and feed them for many a day”
- Michael would like NNN to be a group which does things differently (as regards the environment) not extra things
- A compost bin has been organised for Recess food scraps – (thanks Coley for donating the bin)
Charlotte
(*This application was successful – congratulations Charlotte
4. A suggestion for classes to “adopt a garden” and be responsible to plant, water and weed it, will be followed up by Sandra and Charlotte
5. Clare can provide seeds and cuttings from NCKG, if requested
6. A worm farm will be set up so worm juice can be used as fertiliser
7. Projects such as water and energy saving could be introduced, by teachers encouraging students to turn off taps, lights, fans, computer monitors and reporting leaking taps and investigating types of taps used
8. Clare has a list of websites to share if teachers are interested; a good place to start is Biodiversity for Kids, Stephanie Alexander Foundation and the Martin Luther King Edible School Yard
Next Meeting Monday 21 June Week 10 at NCKG
ALL WELCOME!
Nano's Nature Nurturers
Nano’s Nature Nurturers
Meeting held at Nano Cottage Kitchen Garden - 21June 2010
Present: Michael Siciliano Assistant Principal
Charlotte Gourlie 3G
Sandra Russo 3R
Zhan Patterson Sustainable Resources Engagement Officer
Blacktown City Council
Clare Maloney Itinerant Teacher: Communication
Prayer- “Let us make a start, however small”
(Windows on the Gospel – Flor McCarthy)
- Nano Cottage Kitchen Garden Language Group students and three Year Six students will travel to the River Recovery Nursery, Oxley Park, on Wednesday 21 July for an environmental project with the Greening Australia Schools program. On Wednesday 25 August, the students will plant out tube stock trees and ground cover in a designated area of the school.
- Charlotte has placed an item in the school Newsletter re the McCain’s Veggie Patch offer.
- Charlotte will investigate a “novel/innovative” idea, in order to apply for a Young Horticulturist Grant. Applications will be received up until 2011.
- Sandra will organize a day for teachers to label students’ hats and jackets, to minimise “wastage” of students’ uniforms and to save money for parents.
- Clare to meet with Mitchell in 6E, to discuss sustainability issues which can be implemented in the school. Reference: www.sydneywater.com.au/education
- Michael to contact All Saints Primary at Liverpool to discuss their sustainability audit and the process involved.
- Charlotte and Sandra to periodically write a small item for the school Newsletter, under a title e.g. “Green News” or “Nano Nature Nurturers”, accompanied by a photo of interest, to highlight initiatives happening at the school, or to give practical hints. E.g. How to reduce flies in the compost bin!
- Zhan raised issues around:
- Population growth doubling by 2050
- Climate Change
- Social Justice
- Education
- Reduce, reuse, recycle
- Tracking carbon use
- Think global – act local
- Deep embedding in school culture – transformation of the way we do business
Zhan is available to speak with students on Waste Management issues and can also speak at staff meetings, (in her own free time) on ways which Education for Sustainability, can be integrated into the curriculum …….. Thank you Zhan!
The “Parramatta Learning Community for Sustainability” meeting is on Wednesday 8 September, 11.30am at St Francis of Assisi Primary Glendenning. Guest speaker will be Jacqueline Remond, Executive Director of Catholic Earthcare Australia.
Websites/Books of interest:
Outdoor Classrooms – a handbook for school gardens by Carolyn Nuttall & Janet Millington
How to succeed with Education for Sustainability by Josephine Lang
Next Meeting 3.15pm Monday 9 August - Week 4 at NCKG
ALL WELCOME
Students experience nature “first hand” at St Michael’s as animals wander around the farm and gentle rain falls on Nano Cottage Kitchen Garden!
Nano's Nature Nurturers
Nano’s Nature Nurturers
Meeting held in the library St Michael’s Primary Blacktown South
9 August 2010
Present: Charlotte Gourlie, Sandra Russo, Danielle Ottley,
Paula Murphy, Gai Clark, Alicia Politano: St Michael’s
Carol Hawkes: St Patrick’s Primary Blacktown
Carolyn Duval: Good Shepherd Primary Plumpton
Zhan Patterson: Sustainable Resources Engagement Officer - BCC
Clare Maloney: Itinerant Teacher: Communication - CEO
Apologies: John Laffan: Principal - St Michael’s,
Michael Siciliano: Assistant Principal - St Michael’s
Reflection – “Just the Way You Are”
- On Wednesday 25 August, Nano Cottage Kitchen Garden Language Group students and three Year Six students will plant out tube stock trees and ground cover in a designated area of the school. This is Part 2 of an environmental project with the Greening Australia Schools program.
- Charlotte is collecting coupons through the McCain’s Veggie Patch offer, which closes on 31 October.
- Sandra organized a day for teachers to label students’ hats and jackets, to minimise “wastage” of students’ uniforms and to save money for parents.
- The school newsletter now has a “Green Zone” column … thanks Sandra … feel free to contribute!
- Clare suggested that schools adopt the idea of a “Waste Free Wednesday” where all rubbish brought to school on that day, is taken home.
- Zhan presented the group with challenging questions on environmental issues and asked participants to give reasons for their answers – very thought provoking! Zhan also spoke about every day items which are made using OIL such as sticking tape, aspirins, credit cards and lipstick, with a reminder that the continued supply of oil is not a given! Zhan showed vision of a community village in Scotland where residents are working towards sustainability … very inspiring! Thank you Zhan for your contribution, especially on your day off!
September is Biodiversity Month, Week 2 – Term 4 is Water Week and the Parramatta Learning Community for Sustainability meeting is on Wednesday 8 September, 11.30am at St Francis of Assisi Primary Glendenning. Guest presenters will be Jacqueline Remond, Executive Director of Catholic Earthcare Australia and Zhan Patterson Sustainable Resources Engagement Officer – BCC.
A website of interest: www.lifeisagarden.com.au
Next Meeting: 3.15pm Monday 1 November - Week 4 -Term 4 at NCKG
(All Saints day)
ALL WELCOME
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Parramatta Learning Community for Sustainability meeting - 3
The third PLCfS meeting was held on Wednesday 24 November 2010, at St Bernadette's Primary Lalor Park. Representatives from seven Parramatta schools and the Catholic Education Office, welcomed Jacqueline Remond (National Director-Catholic Earthcare Australia) to the gathering in the library, with a delicious morning tea. Delights included mini quiches made by the students, with produce from the kitchen garden and served warm! A reflection presented by the students, included gifts of small Japanese Maple plants, which they discovered growing in the school grounds! A short tour of the school garden allowed the students time to inform the group of the process of establishing their "tank" garden beds, frog pond and "secret garden".
The meeting evolved into an animated discussion regarding the SEMP (Strategic Environmental Mangement Plan) with the view to all schools developing their own. The South Australian ecological vision for Catholic Education has just been released via the "On Holy Ground" document, which includes ASSISI (A Strategic Systems-based Intregrated Sustainability Initiative) and it is something to which New South Wales Catholic Education, could aspire! The "On Holy Ground" document is online at http://www.catholicearthcare.org.au/
The tentative date for the next meeting is Wednesday 16 February ... venue to be advised ... all welcome!
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