Sustainability
Greening our school: Sustainability and the Environment @ Chatham
Chatham Primary School is working on improving its environmental credentials and become a leading school on environmental issues. Read the weekly column in our newsletters to find out more!
Sustainable School Program
Chatham has been selected as one of just 60 schools in Victoria to join a program known as “Resource Smart Schools” or “AuSSI”, also known as the Sustainable Schools national program. Our entry to this program is essentially a grant for the school to undertake professional education through a core module and receive support and guidance in making our school and community more environmentally sustainable. Download a brochure (also found on this page) for more information.
The program is coordinated by CERES. Chatham’s coordinator Eric Bottomley is working with the school (teachers and parents) through a series of Professional Learning Workshops.
Energy tracking system
As part of this program Chatham will also track its energy and water use as well as the waste produced using SETS to begin to evaluate its environmental footprint. The school has commenced the collection of baseline data at the beginning of 2009. The school’s target is to reduce energy and water use by 20% in the first year.
Waste and water management
There are a number of initiatives in place at Chatham aimed at reducing the schools’ environmental footprint. These include: Rubbish Free Lunch Days, where students are encouraged to bring “nude food” (with minimal packaging) and awards are given to the best class each week. Recycling of paper and other recyclable material takes place and food scraps are composed for the vegetable garden. Energy saving monitors have been appointed in each class to encourage responsible energy use, and Water Wise Workers use buckets to recycle water from the drink taps to put the water on the garden.
Sustainability and Environment Committee
The Chatham School Council has established a Sustainability and Environment Committee who are working on grants for green initiatives, a policy on Sustainability for the school and a Sustainability Action Plan.
Sustainability Forums
The input of students, parents and the community for the Action Plan is being sought through a series of Sustainability Forums being held at the school and will build on some great ideas developed by students to improve the school’s greenhouse footprint.
Solar power and water conservation
Two government grants awarded in 2009 will help Chatham Primary School install of solar panels to reduce our reliance on non-renewable, polluting, energy sources, install water tanks for flushing toilets, and install energy saving lighting in the portable classrooms. Additional tanks to supply the vegetable garden will be installed.
Draft Policy on Sustainability
