Antonio Park Primary School

Suburban School: Based in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs
Size of school:300 students

Summary

Partnerships

• The school works with many groups including: CERES, Gould League, Whitehorse City Council, Leastwaste, Yarra Valley Water, Greening Australia Victoria, local bushland protection group and the local community.

• Accredited Waste Wise School, accredited in the Core and Waste theme of Sustainable Schools and is close to being accredited in the Water theme
• Finalist in United Nations Association of Australia Education Awards in 2004
• Students and teachers present at conferences (e.g. Schools for the Environment Forum, organized by Greening Australia Victoria)
• Open days at school (e.g. School Grounds Open days)
• Selected as the venue for the launch of the Victorian Sustainable Schools Pilot Project
• Elected student Environmental Leaders
• Mentor to many other schools

Economic Benefits

• Saved $6,300 on their water bills in 2003. Part of the savings resulted from fixing a water leak in the school, identified from the water audit.

Social benefits Within the school community

• Active involvement of students and families in fruit time and animal program. Families work on a roster to look after the animals.
• Several Open Days (Sustainability Activity Days) have been held, when parents visit and students participate in environmental actions in the grounds..
• Parents involved in school grounds developments and in providing stone and timber for wetlands development.
• Improved awareness in the children and adults of landcare, gardening, litter prevention Wider community involvement.
• Participated in Clean-up Australia Day by cleaning nearby nature reserve Wellbeing
• Fruit time has been introduced at 10am when students take a fruit snack. This has led to big reductions in packaging left in school yard and has been a major dietary improvement for the children.
• The school has received enormous attention through its involvement in Sustainable Schools and Waste Wise Schools. Some examples of this attention include:
1. The school community featured in 2003 in Herald-Sun and the Australian newspapers, on ABC Stateline and Children’s Television on the school satellite network.
2. The State and National Sustainable Schools Pilot Project was launched at the school by Federal Minister for the Environment, The Hon. David Kemp, MP, and Victorian Minister for Education, The Hon. Lynne Kosky, MLA.
Educational Benefits
• Integrated curriculum approaches were introduced as a charter priority for 2000-2003. The Sustainable Schools curricula has supported this approach with integrated units in ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ at Grade 1 and 2 and in ‘packaging’ in level 3.
• Activities linked to real life experiences in school grounds and nearby areas, such as Yarran Dheran Nature Reserve.
Environmental Benefits
Waste and Litter

• The EcoRecycle Waste Wise Schools Program has been an important program for the school and the Community Animal Program has involved many families in caring for the animals.
• Chook farm and worm farms have been major contributors to a 50% reduction in landfill waste from the school.
• Fruit time and restricted eating spaces have removed the litter problem in the yard.
Energy
• The school has already reduced embodied energy use by reusing four portables and turning them into a large hall for 300 students with toilets and cafeteria planned. This project cost about $200,000 to relocate and redevelop, with potential for passive solar design.
Water
• Water audit and plan in place for curriculum, infrastructure and community links
• Major stormwater project undertaken, with over 31,000 litres of tank storage collecting roof water and diverting it through toilet flushing, garden use, ricefield display, wetland habitat and orchard area
• Erosion is being controlled on steep slopes and flows of silt and stormwater to creek reduced.
Biodiversity
• Artist in schools used to create bird baths with students.
• Grounds plan development which drew on the support of CERES and parents, includes chook sheds, water tanks, wetlands, orchard, sheep paddocks, recycling centre, nature reserve and Indonesian gardens.
• Antonio Park Nature Reserve and Yarran Dheran Nature Reserve provide environmental action sites and excellent remnant bushland (including a koala) exists and is protected within the school grounds.

“The entire program has meant a paradigm shift in thinking (and doing) with regard to our environment across the entire school community and inspired many with life long learning strategies. At Antonio Park Primary School our motto is ‘Caring and Innovative’ and the philosophy behind Sustainable Schools parallels closely with what we value in our school community.”
Robert Webb, Former Assistant Principal