Being a green school is the new black

Vanessa Lahey investigates how a small school is making a big impact in promoting sustainability.

The tiny school at Aldavilla tucked away in the hinterland of the mid-north coast has taken out this year’s Sustainable Schools NSW School of the Year Award.

Its mighty efforts at reducing the school’s environmental footprint have set the

bar for being a green school at an aspirational new height.

The school’s sustainability success hasn’t come overnight, as principal Kathryn McNee explained, it’s been nearly 10 years in the making.

The journey toward sustainability started with the introduction of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen GardenExternal link program and grew from there.

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program is run from a train carriage that’s been converted into a kitchen on the school grounds. It’s from here the students learn about gardening and seasonal produce and how and when to harvest fruits and vegetables to turn into nutritious meals.

“Our students alternate between a gardening lesson one week and cooking class the next. Part of their learning includes seed saving, planting, making compost, worm farm management, all of which contribute to growing plants that they will eventually turn into food as part of our paddock to plate concept,” Ms McNee said.

“The students use what they grow at school to create Nude Food lunchboxes (food that isn’t wrapped in foil, plastic or commercial packaging), and part of that process is also learning about waste and recycling.”

The school has adopted a holistic sustainability focus which is integrated into the curriculum. Sustainable initiatives include rainwater capture, a comprehensive recycling program, and energy-saving lighting all driven by student engagement supported by an active environmental team.

A combination of passionate students and the school’s pursuit of continuous improvement to combat climate change make being a sustainable school viable.

“We have an all-of-school approach to sustainability thanks to a long history of school leadership vested in sustainable practices,” Ms McNee said.

“We have been a WaterWise school since 2013, and this year were granted $15,000 from Sustainable SchoolsExternal link to increase the number of water tanks at the school to reduce the impact of runoff and use water more productively.

“The school was also the recipient of a Junior Landcare GrantExternal link which enabled us to plant more trees for native bees and provided the funds so that students could make bee hotels to support the natural ecosystems that now exist at the school.”

Aldavilla Public School’s recycling program is not just about separating waste into the correct bin.

It goes further by enlisting the help of student waste monitors in each grade to educate their fellow students on the correct disposal of waste and turning cans into school cash.