Sustainability Day

The proposal group spent the day thinking of ideas that contribute to our community. “The proposal group could potentially come up with ideas for new sustainable actions that could overall help not only our school but our entire community” says Ms. Spindler, one of the proposal group mentors.

The mural group created beautiful flowers and intricate weaving designs out of plastic bags. They crocheted, knitted and weaved to turn an often-discarded polluter into beautiful art.

The up-cycling group turned pieces of fabrics from old clothes into bean bags for nursery and the PE department. They’ve shown us that a new purpose can be found for anything! “Sustainability day is important because we need to teach people that there are main issues that are happening on the world” says Ms. Kerr who was a part of the up-cycling group, “and there are future kids that are going to change it.” It’s important to educate about these issues as how are future generations “going to change it if they are not aware of it”.

A new activity was added this year with the birdwatching group. A great opportunity to appreciate and learn about nature along with an expert who helped them spot the birds. They were originally walking along the Sava to find birds, but they also observed other wildlife like squirrels!

The cycling group not only had fun riding their bikes but also learnt how to change tires and maintain their eco-friendly means of transportation. The students in the cycling group learned that it’s important to do whatever little things you can to help the environment.

Maya, student of Year 10

During last week’s Sustainability Day, the cycling group explored local routes around the school while reflecting on how we can reduce our reliance on fuel-powered transport by choosing more sustainable options such as cycling. Along the way, students also had the opportunity to connect with nature—playing in the park, observing animals, and spending time by the riverside while appreciating the environment we are working to protect.

Here are some thoughts from the students:

The best part about Sustainability Day for me was the cycling part, where we got to see animals, and the teachers even let us take pictures. It was very fun, and we saw lots of different animals like geese, donkeys, goats, a peacock, and horses. We also saw a small, cute cat, and we got to buy ice cream there. We played on the bars, but sadly I stepped in a puddle, and later I found out my shoes smelled like horse poop. We also saw a dead snake. (Y8 student)

My favourite part was when we cycled to the Sava River. Its beauty reminded me of the importance of being sustainable and kind to nature. (Y8 student)

My favourite part was when we stopped at the Sava River, dipped our legs in the water, and threw rocks to make them bounce across the river. I also enjoyed eating ice cream and having drinks. We had fun jumping on trampolines and playing in the park. We also saw a peacock making funny noises. (Y8 student)

My favourite part was when we all cycled together as a team and had fun, and how we used bikes instead of cars—we were outside and didn’t produce carbon dioxide. (Y7 student)

My favourite part of this day was when my friends and I cycled together. Another good thing was that another student and I went to look at the animals, including goats, ducks, pigs (sleeping the entire time), a peacock, and horses. (Y8 student)

My favourite part was when we stopped at the park for a break and hung out with another student while eating ice cream. (Y8 student)