Wantirna Primary School No. 3709
120 Mountain Highway, Wantirna 3152
Telephone (03) 9801 1938 Fax (03) 9887 4192
E-mail: wantirna.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
Web: www.wantirnaprimary.vic.edu.au
“small school = BIG results”
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
RATIONALE
 Wantirna Primary School has the potential to reduce its carbon footprint. Strategies that
reduce waste lead to financial savings for the school, considerable benefits for the
environment and opportunities for students to develop environmentally sound attitudes
and habits.
OBJECTIVES
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To minimise waste produced by the school going to landfill and increase the
percentage of material that is reused and recycled
To decrease the amount of energy that the school uses through greater
efficiency and better practices and to ensure that the energy that is consumed
comes from carbon neutral sources where possible.
To increase the biodiversity of the school by planting indigenous species where
possible, and increasing the habitat area for local wildlife.
To minimise the consumption of mains water at the school and to utilise other
sources such as tank and storm water to assist in this reduction.
Emphasise the concept of reduce, recycle and reuse.
To educate students about their responsibility for the ecological footprint that
they will leave on the planet.
IMPLEMENTATION
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The School will:
Ensure that a number of sustainability leadership positions are offered to the students
each year. This may include light switch monitors, recycle bin monitors etc. (Refer to
appendices below.)
Facilitate and encourage the implementation of a range of strategies to reduce
resource use and increase our biodiversity.
Provide the necessary funding to implement these strategies on an ongoing basis.
Plant ecologically appropriate plants where possible.
Encourage community participation in our environmental projects and strategies and
encourage similar strategies to be undertaken at home. eg. vegetable garden, paper
free lunches etc.
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
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Using environmentally friendly products. eg. cleaning chemicals, recycled paper etc.
Work towards becoming a Resource Smart school.
Teachers will take an active role to:
Ensure that the objectives outlined above are incorporated into the curriculum so that
all children understand the importance of sustainability:
Encourage children to become more environmentally aware and actively involved in
sustainable activities
Model appropriate sustainable practices to the children at school.
Incorporate the current Knox Council Sustainability initiatives into the School’s planning
documents.
Parents will be encouraged:
Support the objectives and strategies outlined in this policy.
Model appropriate sustainable practices to children at home.
Encourage children to become more environmentally aware and actively involved in
sustainable activities at home.
Students will:
Participate in all activities and strategies that help to increase the school’s sustainability
Become actively involved in, or support the practices and activities of the School
Environmental Team.
Assist with litter reduction, water and energy conservation through habitual practices.
Support and encourage their parents to adopt similar sustainable practices at home.
EVALUATION
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The policy will be evaluated by teachers and parents by observing whether the
objectives of the policy are being met through the school program and
observations of student behaviours.
The policy will be reviewed every 4 years.
Author
Education Committee
Approved By
School Council
Approval Authority
(Signature & Date)
Date Reviewed
Responsible for Review
Education Committee
Review Date
2019
References
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
APPENDIX 1
Waste Management
Save Our Water
Overseen by: YEP Team
Monitors: students from each grade level
Process:
1. Student monitors to ensure that there is a container under each
tap and bubbler. Any leaking taps to be reported to Ms Adgemis.
2. Monitors to ensure that the containers are regularly emptied into
the gardens.
3. Monitors to ensure that missing containers are replaced.
4. Monitors to ensure that the water is not being used by students
inappropriately.
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
APPENDIX 2
Waste Management
Paper and Recycling
Overseen by: Sustainability Leader
Managed by: Classroom Teachers
Monitors: students from each grade
Process:
1.
Once a week the monitor, collects paper from the classrooms and the
admin bins.
2.
Sustainability Leader supervises these bins being emptied neatly into
the recycle dumper.
3.
Sustainability Leader keeps a list of the grades that have emptied their
bins and lets classes know if their monitor has missed the process.
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
APPENDIX 3
Waste Management
Composting
Overseen by: Sustainability Team
Managed by: Sustainability Leader
Process:
1. At 2.28 each day monitors take all food scraps bins to go to the vegie
garden.
2. After checking for any contamination of wrong composting, the general
compost is emptied into the compost bins
3. Monitors mark off the grades as they arrive on a laminated list.
4. Students empty bread scraps into the bucket next to the chicken coop.
5. Monitors take scrap buckets to the bubbler water collection containers
and swish the buckets out with some water and empty it into the
garden.
6. On Fridays only, after swishing, students take buckets to staff room for
washing.
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
APPENDIX 4
Waste Management
Classroom Bins
Overseen by: Sustainability Leader
Managed by: Classroom Teachers and their grades
Process:
At 2.28 each day classroom monitors take their classroom bins to
hopper.
Sustainability Leader ensures the orderly emptying of the bins
and tidies the area.
Sustainability Leader marks off each class and supervises the
emptying of bins into the hopper and to keep the area tidy.
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY