Wallangarra SS
SEMP PLAN
2014 – 2018
__________________________________________________________
Scott Koch
Marion Saxby
Principal
P&C President
Background Information
The Wallangarra School is part of Queensland's Granite Belt and is well known
for its production of cattle, deciduous fruits, and summer vegetables. Our school
was established in 1888 with a successful centenary held in 1988 and an equally
successful 125th celebration in 2013.
Over the years we have had a fluctuating school population with numbers
varying from 107 students when the Army families were stationed to the present
enrolment of 57. The town is steeped is history with the railway change of gauge
line and the historical Railway Station.
Wallangarra State School is situated at the southern end of the Granite Belt and is
38kms from Stanthorpe in the north and 18 kms from Tenterfield in the south
The school community enjoys the best of a country school where relationships
amongst students staff and parents are warm, respectful, helpful and caring as
well as enjoying all the benefits of a regional centre where our students can
participate and enjoy a wider range of cultural, sporting, educational and
community events. There is a General Store, Abattoir, Butcher Shop, Police
Station, SES, Post Office, Day-care Centre, Progress Association, CWA, RSL, Golf
Club and the Railway Café all working together to promote the town of
Wallangarra and to ensure it is a safe and attractive place to live.
Girraween Nation Park is a major tourist attraction just north of Wallangarra. The
town is also noted as an RV Friendly town as most nights the local Lions Park on
the New England Highway is packed with toursits who choose to spend the night
in Wallangarra.
Principal’s Statement
Our School’s mission is to assist each child to develop socially,
emotionally, academically and physically. Our over-arching goal
is to help each child acquire the necessary skills to enable him
or her to become a well-balanced, mature and co-operative
citizen, able to adjust to changing environments and
circumstances.
Children are individuals who learn in different
ways and at different rates. Optimum learning takes place
through the continuous process of interaction between the
learner and the total environment, including the classroom and
the community. The teacher’s role is that of a partner, giving
guidance, offering suggestions and corrections in the learning
process. In doing so, the teacher must develop a feeling of
mutual respect for, and trust with, the child. The environment
must provide the necessary motivation for a child to tackle tasks
that are sufficiently challenging but not so difficult as to be out of
reach.
Management and planning priorities
A major priority is to advance the literacy and numeracy ability of every student
in the school. Other priorities areas include continual development of school
community partnerships, school curriculum, high quality teaching practice and
an improvement in school leadership positions and experience.
SEMP Vision Statement:
The Wallangarra State School community is committed to the development of a
sustainable school that endeavours to use best sustainability practices to
develop each student’s personal understanding, knowledge and empathy for
environmental issues. Through ongoing programs that develop environmental
consciousness and more sustainable ways of doing everyday activities, we strive
to make our school environment a more pleasant place to work, play and live.
SEMP Management and planning priorities:
 To make our school more sustainable - reduce waste.
 Reduce water consumption - improve energy efficiency.
 Use rain water tanks at all times except where town water is needed
(Drought)
 Increase biodiversity in the school grounds
 Develop a greater understanding of the impact of people on the
natural environment.
 Communicate sustainable principles and practices to the broader
community.
 Foster development of a culture that recognises the value of
sustainability and living harmoniously with the environment.
How does this plan fit into School Operations?
• The school’s strategic management plan.
• Part of the school Annual Plan
• Reported on in the School Annual Report on our Website.
• Integrated with relevant school policies.
• Integrated with school administration and management procedures.
• Integrated with curriculum programs.
• Consultation with P&C.
• Links to extra-curricular activities for students.
Environment Team
The team includes:
• Principal &Teachers.
• Parents & Students.
• Administration and support staff.
Environmental vision
Our school aims to provide programs and practices to continually raise
awareness in the community to environmental issues. Across the focus areas the
goals of this plan are:
Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
Our school Curriculum Framework planning has linked SOSE and Science
concepts about energy and water conservation into other KLA’s. This ensures
that we have a whole-school approach to developing student’s knowledge and
understanding in maintaining sustainability.
Management of Resources Energy, Waste and Water
We aim to maximise our ecological contribution to sustainability in alignment
with the Queensland Environmentally Sustainable Schools Initiative (QESSI)
 reduce school waste
 recycle paper
 improve energy efficiency by 30% through behaviour change,
 solar power – 34 panels are installed throughout the school
School and Community Partnerships
The school will model sustainability practices to visiting students, teachers and
parents.
Issue
Strategy
Water
Reduction in
water
consumption.
All leaking and
poorly
maintained
appliances
identified.
Energy
Energy Audit
Encourage
students to wear
warm clothes
Outcome
Water Saved
Money saved
Timeframe/Wh
o
Principal
Ongoing


Water savng
devices
install when
needed
Reduce
power
Principal/teachers
students
Ongoing.



Closing curtains
Set Aircon at
recommended
temperatures
Action
.

Educate students, staff
and community about the
use of dual flush toilets.
Involve all students in
reduction of water usage.
Identify areas of energy
savings.
Install energy efficient
lighting.
Educate school
community in efficient
energy use, ie; switching
lights off when not being
used.
Increase number of Solar
Panels on School Roof.
Resources
Waterwise
Program.
Measure
Council water
rates
Reduction in
electricity
consumption.
Electricity bill.
National Solar
Schools
Program.
Installed Solar
Panels.
Issue
Waste
Biodiversity
Energy
Transport
Strategy
To address the
need for litter
and food waste
to be disposed of
in an
environmentally
friendly way.
To education
children the
values of
recycling
Outcome
School
Community
raised
awareness of
the need to
reduce and
recycle
waste.
To decrease the
waste from
school lunches
To develop an
understanding
that Australia's
biodiversity is
healthy and
resilient to
threats, and
valued both in
its own right
and for its
essential
contribution to
our existence.
More aware
of the values
of recycling
Maintaining
and
increasing
indigenous
biodiversity.
Encourage
children to
walk/ride to
school if possible
Timeframe/Who
Whole school
Ongoing




Action
Food waste audit (what
goes into our bins?).
Scraps in a separate bin
Purchase compost
bin/bins for food waste.
Utilize Recycle bins as
supplied by council
Recycle bins in classrooms
Resources
Recycle bins
Scrap bucket.

Student study of our local
animal and fauna species.
Ongoing

Put mulch on garden beds.

Maintain native bushland
Australian
Government
Conservation of
Australia’s
biodiversity
Web Site.

Replace shrubs trees
Landcare

Create a pleasant
environment for teaching
and learning
Compost.

Provide native animals
with feed and rousting
sites.
Bird feeders
Principal whole
staff/students
parents
 Assistance from local
police re bike safety
Measure
Reduction of
waste.
Amount of
compost
produced.
Principal/School
Community.
Make
compost out
of food
waste.
Ride to
school day

Whole school
participation
Health of gardens
and school
grounds.
Check how many
students rode or
walked.
Resources
Australian Government National Waste Policy. Website: www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy/index.html
Sustainable Schools NSW Website: sustainableschools.nsw.edu.au
Australian Government Conservation of Australia’s biodiversity. Website:
www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/
Australian Government Energy. Website:
www.australia.gov.au/topics/environment-and-natural-resources/energy/energy-efficiency
Australian Government Water. Website:
www.nwc.gov.au/publications/topic/reform/water-policy-and-climate-change-in-australia
AuSSI Sustainable Schools website:
www.environment.gov.au/education/aussi/
Brisbane City Council. Website:
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/
Benefits of Recycling website:
www.benefits-of-recycling.com/index.html
Department of the Environment and Heritage (2005) Educating for a Sustainable Future. A National Environmental Education Statement for
Australian Schools. Australian Government.
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2009) National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability. Australian Government,
Department for Children, Schools and Families (2008). Sustainable School Self-evaluation. Driving School Improvement through Sustainable
Development. UK Government.
World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) Our Common Future. Report of the World Commission on Environment and
Development. United Nations