In 2003 Killara became involved in yearly community tree planting and Water Watch activities though Western Water, Melbourne Water, Hume Council and local developers. Initially, only Year 5/6s were involved, then slowly other year levels ‘came on board’ with on-site projects. National Schools’ Tree Planting Days, Clean Up Australia Day for Schools, local Landcare events, Aussie Bird Audit etc., were also on our yearly calendar. Throughout the years students were regularly involved in Home School Learning Tasks creating posters for Western Water and EPA competitions (often winning or being placed).
We obtained Grants through Landcare and Mitre 10, Landcare & Coles, and Bunnings for ‘greening’ our grounds, gardening equipment for the students, and a compost area.
We also won water tanks from BlueScope Steel.
As the Sustainability Team began to grow more was achievable and achieved.
In 2010 /11 we became part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic Program managed by Sustainability Victoria and supported by the DEECD. The two main outcomes of this program are:
*Sustainability outcomes for the school – by improving energy, materials and water efficiency; encouraging behaviour change and understanding sustainability issues.
*Curriculum outcomes for the school – by linking curriculum content to student actions relating to improving the school’s sustainability.
This is where we really ‘took off’:
2011/2012 we completed the Core Module.
2012/2013 we completed the Waste Module .
2013/2015 we completed the Energy Module.
2015/2016 we updated the Core, Energy and Waste Modules.
2015/2016 we worked on the Biodiversity Module.
2016/2017 we completed the Biodiversity Module.
2021 we updated the Core, Energy and Biodiversity Modules.
Our aim is to promote sustainability and the environment across the curriculum, involving the students and school community at every opportunity. We have many on-going initiatives within the school. HEROs in every classroom looking after recycling, energy use, composting and a whole lot more (see our HERO page). We promote Nude Food lunches and have a reward system for this which is announced at each assembly (see our Nude Food page). Outside we have all the native planting areas (added to each National Schools’ Tree Planting Day in July, with the help of the Hume Free Seedling Program), bird boxes (Since 2014 – thanks to the Sunbury Mens’ Shed), an orchard (see our Biodiversity page) with 13 fruit trees (created in 2014 thanks to Sunbury Community Health Centre & Bunnings) and a Native Bee Hotel (built in 2015 thanks to Phoenix’s dad). In 2016 we bought 4 Friendship Seats, made by Replas (Replas.com.au) from recycled plastic bags.
As you can see, we’ve been and are busy, with every level of the school involved in one way or another, and the feedback is that they are loving it.
We are a drop-off point for: unwanted mobile phones and accessories, batteries, asthma puffers, breadbag tags, aluminium can ring-pulls – reminders of all this goes in our newsletter several times a year. We also collect un-recyclable polystyrene packing peanuts that come into the school, and we pass them on for reuse.
We have 18 council recycle bins for paper; these are emptied by council, when required, as part of their schools’ program. We have a worm farm, fed with scraps from the canteen. We use the worm juice on our gardens. We also have 5 vimicompost bins for all our other compost.
In 2012 we joined the SWEP program (Schools’ Water Efficiency Program) through the Department of Sustainability & Environment and Western Water. A data logger was installed on our water meter and we are able to monitor water use and are alerted if water use becomes excessive. Some 5/6 students have used this data within their maths sessions.
Our school newsletter carries an Environmental Corner each week with tips/advice regarding Sustainability.
In 2017 we creation of our very own Veggie Garden. On the south side of our Phillip Drive entrance (near the flag pole). We have 6 raised garden beds and the 5 virmicompost system. Our thanks go to Landcare, Momentum Energy and Bunnings who have all contributed to the garden.
2018 – Brought a lot of changes to our school with a New Principal and Vice Principal taking over. Working bees were reintroduced and a general clean up of the landscape was undertaken. Dying trees were cleared, new trees were planted, a garden club was introduced.
In 2018 we received a grant from Landcare to create a Lizard lounge. By 2019 it was all up and running with 10 Cunningham skinks of various sizes. As part of the grant, our Performing Arts teacher, Kelli Brogan, and students from Prep to Year 5/6 were involved in an environmental education program using ICT (see our Biodiversity page).
Late in 2019 we received another grant, from Hume Council and DELWP, to create an edible indigenous garden. During the Christmas school holidays we had the area prepared and bordered with recycled racing car tyres (which will be painted in indigenous designs).
During 2020 progress was slowed due to Covid-19, however by the end of the year we had successfully planted the trees, shrubs and ground covers.
In early 2021 we bordered the garden beds with rocks and brought in some huge slab-rocks for the meaning places. Granitic sand will eventually be laid on the pathways. The garden is thriving at the moment and will soon bare fruit.
In 2021 we won a Buddy Bench from Coles and another friendship seat, thanks to CERES.
Our Sustainability Team is extremely proud of what we have achieved over the years. If you have any ideas that you can help us with, we would love to hear from you. Contact any of our Team at any time.
To see what’s happening at Killara in each of the four ResourceSmart areas, please click the following links: