2023 | ISSUE 11 | Sustainability Matters

SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

UPCOMING EVENTS TERM 3

August 7-13 Keep Australia Beautiful Week

August 11 30 for 30 Clean Up Challenge

August 18 Eddy’s Preloved (Lunchtime Clothes & Accessories Sale)

August 20-24 World Water Week

September 7 National Threatened Species Day

EDDY’S PRELOVED – CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES SALE

In a bid to foster a more sustainable culture, on the back of this season’s War on Waste currently screening on the ABC, we are excited to announce a new initiative – Eddy’s Preloved. The sale will be conducted during lunchtime on Friday 18 August in the Edmund Rice Gymnasium. Led by student leader Benjamin Starinskis, the clothing sale will provide an opportunity for students wanting to sell items, to develop their entrepreneurial skills and for others to secure some unique items to wear. Shoes and accessories will also be sold and no item will exceed $50. Information for stall holders will be circulated in the student bulletin.

NATIONAL TREE PLANTING DAY

Blessed with the sun shining on Sunday morning, it was the perfect opportunity to be outdoors and supporting the Friends of Waurn Ponds Creek to commence this year’s planting goals along the Creek embankment near Brearly Reserve Bridge, Grovedale. Planting adjacent to a plot planted out just five years ago, it was heartening to watch the abundant birdlife already claiming this area as their home. If you would like to support the “Friends” to complete their tree planting efforts for this season, further details are in the Community Notices section of this article.

For Schools Tree Day, several Yr 9 volunteers helped transform the Newstreet drinking station, from a cottage garden to an indigenous food species garden, planting several new species including; Murnong (Microseris lanceolata), Sea Celery (Apium prostratum) and Pigface (Carpobrotus modestus).

On Tuesday 1 August, Phil Hunter, Ellie Brundt and Lucy Adams from Wild Places, supported staff and students in a massive undertaking, planting out the next stage of the Carey Oval south embankment with indigenous flora species. VCEVM students and volunteers during lunchtime and after school worked productively to help revegetate this area, with the goal of creating a nature corridor and habitat for a variety of bird species.

CUT THE WRAP

A reminder to all families that our CUT THE WRAP initiative has commenced. We encourage all families to adopt a CUT THE WRAP approach to making lunches, to reduce waste at the school. Lunchboxes will be inspected for Year 7 students during the Wellbeing period on a weekly basis (with the exclusion of the last week of each term).

CUT THE WRAP PROCEDURES & REWARDS

Students presenting a “plastic wrap free” lunch will be rewarded with a credit stamp.

Classes with 100% participation (on any given week) will be awarded a second credit stamp (each student).

Note: A canteen order or money for the canteen, does NOT qualify as a wrap free lunch.

END OF TERM REWARD

The class with the highest level of participation for a given term (provided they reach a minimum of 100 participants) will receive an Eddie Coin. Note, the number of coins distributed will be determined by the highest number of participants in a given week for that term.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Tree Planting with the Friends of Waurn Ponds Creek

Service Learning Opportunity

All families are invited to join the “Friends of Waurn Ponds Creek” on Sunday 6 August for tree planting activities. They will gather from 9.00am on the creek to plant grasses and shrubs at a site between Brearley Reserve bridge and Winter Street. You may access the site via the walking track from Winter Street. Morning tea will be provided at approximately 10.15. Volunteer may simply turn up and register on the day. Please take your own gardening gloves.

Service learning hours will be assigned in accordance with the number of hours of service.

For more information, visit the following website; https://friendsofwaurnpondscreek.org.au/aa%202023/07%20July%2030%20NTD.html

Kelly Jenkins
Sustainability Coordinator