Going green

School environmental management plans work across the key learning areas of the curriculum and the whole school community.

We start with local sustainability and over time develop student understanding of how their work contributes globally.

Students and staff manage, observe and monitor our school's resources, waste and physical surroundings, then take on activities to protect and improve our school and the local environment.

Your child will develop an understanding about:

the relationship between human activities and natural systems
sustainable management of the earth's resources
the inter-related nature of processes in the natural environment

We encourage you to support your child's 'going green' activities, and to help them to learn to care for the environment as part of their everyday lives.

AT EPPING HEIGHTS

Students at Epping Heights are given many opportunities to learn about caring for our environment.

Last year we introduced our Stage 2 Environmental Warriors. Students take on various roles, including Carbon Cops, Water Warlords, Compost Crusaders and Recycling Rebels. The children wear labelled fluoro vests as they go about their duties.

Students are involved in weekly monitoring of water quality in Terry's Creek as part of the Streamwatch Program.

Students have conducted rubbish audits to monitor the amount of paper, plastic and food waste thrown into bins during a day.

This year we have established 5 large container gardens as part of an outdoor learning area which adjoins the school hall. Parents attended a very productive working bee to build these container gardens. Children have recently been involved in planting out the gardens with vegetables and herbs, with support from the school Gardening Committee and representatives from Bunnings. A gardening Club runs each Friday at lunchtimes to tend the container gardens.

Previously as part of the federal government's Investing in our Schools initiative, we installed a very large water tank which harvests water from the adjoining rooves. Water in the tank is connected to the school's automatic watering system which waters the school oval and gardens.

As part of the BER project, solar panels were installed on the roof of the new hall and a computerised monitoring system was placed in the electrical meter store room. The system can be accessed by staff and looked at by students. Graphs can be downloaded and analysed allowing students to make conclusions about our power use at school.