New Gisborne Primary School

Rural/Regional
Student Enrolment:

Themes: Core, Energy and Waste

Key Elements: Baseline data,Committee, Goals and targets, Policy, Whole School Commitment was affirmed and launched by a whole school activity day starting with the parent assembly.

Partnerships
The school works with many groups including CERES, Gould League, Aorwatch, Rotary Club of Gisborne and Landcare.

Summary

At the beginning of 2002, the school embarked on a challenge to become an EcoRecycle Waste Wise School through the interest from two staff members in becoming more waste conscious. At the end of 2002, the school joined the Victorian Sustainable Schools Pilot Program, supported by Rotary Gisborne. A small group of interested teachers took the idea to the school council and support for the program was ratified.

Leadership

• Accredited in the Core and Energy themes
• Particpating in Teacher Research in Schools program for EcoRecycle Waste Wise Schools Program
• Mentoring other schools
• Working towards inclusion of the waste theme
• Ongoing resource for other schools

• Electricity use reduced by 36%
• Gas use decreased by 10%
• Paper use down in the first year

• The social benfits of the program so far have included parents and student behavioural changes with switching off lights, questions about what families can do at home to reduce electricity use.
• The school has produced a regular newsletter informing staff, studetns and parents of the environmental and economical benfits of saving electricity.
• At the end of the year, the school had an Energy saving Day for school families that was extremely well supported, with many families particpating at a very busy time of the year. With the school community.
• Clases were rewarded for their proactice action with the rewarding of MrBulb (a recyled light globe at the school assembly.

• The school is involved with the local Rotary and Landcare groups

• A very strong science program is emerging from levels 3&4. This has also given inspiration to other levels to refocus on outcomes and curriculum opportunities.
• The Energy theme commenced with a successful Turn it off/Put it On fashion parade where children were encouraged to wear layers of clothing to school rather than relying on the all-day heating of the classrooms.
• There was a classroom energy auditfor two weeks in Terms 2, 3 and 4. The results were published for children, teachers and parents to view.
• Over the last three years, units of work in waste, Energy and Reduce, recycle have been developed by individual teachers and teams and used each year.

• Electrical consumption reduced by 36%
• Gas use decreased by 10%
• Lights switched off
• Ongoing de-lamping plan
• Computers not left on standby
• External doors closed to prevent heat/cooling loss
• Heating and cooling times reduced while maintaing a comfortable environment. layering regimes
• Continuous auditing by students
• Energy police intermittently monitored calssroom energy reduction at recess.