X Marks the Spots!

St Joseph's Primary Schofields have marked out the spots for their new school garden ... along with vegetables, herbs and fruit trees, there are plans for a picnic and reflection area. The original garden plots may be used for composting bays and planted out with drought tolerant plants. The school is fortunate to have the use of a kitchen, so delicious dishes will be on the menu! From Little Things Big Things Grow!

X Marks the Spots!

St Joseph's Primary Schofields have marked out the spots for their new school garden ... along with vegetables, herbs and fruit trees, there are plans for a picnic and reflection area. The original garden plots may be used for composting bays and planted out with drought tolerant plants. The school is fortunate to have the use of a kitchen, so delicious dishes will be on the menu! From Little Things Big Things Grow!

'Garden Buds' prepare for the PLCfS meeting!

 ‘Parramatta Learning Community for Sustainability’ meeting

Wednesday 13 June from 2-4pm

at

St John's Primary: 5 McCulloch Road, Riverstone

Jacqueline Remond - National Director of Catholic Earthcare Australia, will be in attendance, along with Zhan Patterson – Project Manager from Western Sydney Regional Organisaton of Council’s (WSROC) Water in the Landscape Project.
Gary Borg, Principal of Mother Teresa Primary Westmead and Wendy Shepherd, Director of Mia Mia Early Learning Centre Macquarie University, will be the guest speakers.
The St John’s ‘Garden Buds’ will showcase their garden and participants will be invited to share their Kitchen Scraps and Garden Clippings (i.e. a 1 minute strategy, tip, idea, story, which aims to improve oral language/sustainability).
Afternoon Tea will be available and Kitchen Garden Resources will be on display.
Please click here for your personal invitation.

Please RSVP – Friday 4 June 2012 to

Clare.Maloney@parra.catholic.edu.au    

http://kitchengardensinschools.blogspot.com

  (13 June - Feast of St Anthony of Padua)

The 'Mini Green House' Effect!

It was a case of students outwitting the teachers at St Francis of Assisi Primary, when the new 'Mini Green House' needed to be constructed! The students became the leaders,correctly  interpreting the instructions  from a small diagram and they had the plastic covering in place in record time,while the teachers became their followers! A job well done!

Salt and Pepper - Oranges and Lemons!

Nature at its best when the St Michael's students were introduced by the Agricultural students, to Salt & Pepper, the new rabbits, at Nagle College Farm! Also, the oranges and lemons are showing they are a cold climate fruit by putting on a display, one which doesn't long, as students haggle to take home the fresh produce!



The 4 R's!

The 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, slogan took on another 'R' when students at St Michael's Primary Blacktown South, had to 'Rethink' in order to sort their waste during the two day rubbish audit, held recently! Labelled bins were placed on Infants and Primary playgrounds whereYear 6 students and teachers were on hand to advise and encourage students to throw items into the correct bins! Students became more aware of the triangle symbol which indicates recycling, the need to squash tetra packs to reduce space and it is easier to bring fruit pieces in  containers, rather than whole pieces of fruit! The rubbish audit was followed up with a 'Waste Free Wednesday', which means students are encouraged to 'Rethink' how much packaging they use for snacks and lunches and all rubbish, except fruit scraps (which are composted) is taken home ... WFW will be held at least once a term!

Turnips, Teepees, Taps and Teapots!

Language opportunities abound in school gardens! Students at Holy Trinity and St Francis were busy figuring out how to make teepees stand alone, discovering that the word tap has many meanings, watering cans look like teapots and turnips can grow so big they require a lot of effort to harvest!



Succulents Rock!

Succulents adorned by rocks, creatively decorated by the Kitchen Garden students at St Pat's Blacktown, a sensory garden surrounding 'Rose Cottage', potatoes being planted in the 'no dig garden' and pretty little nooks for reflection... all this conjures up a quaint picture of native Ireland - St Patrick would be pleased!

 



The Bear with the Sword!



Davide Cali's powerful and timely story of the consequences of our actions, and the impact we can have on the world around us is delightfully and imaginatively illustrated by renowned Italian artist, Gianluca Foli, making his picture book debut.

The bear's remorse, and the actions he takes to make good his vandalism, will provide all young readers with food for thought.