Education Programs

With water savings, drought tolerant gardens, a wetland, and a water wise curriculum, it is no wonder that Bentleigh West Primary School was accredited as a 5-star Sustainable School in September 2006. Over the past two years, the school has taken a holistic approach to water saving. It has reinstated indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses and planted other drought tolerant plants. The conversion of a large lawn area into an indigenous dry forest has also reduced water usage and attracted native wildlife. In the classroom, water saving has been embedded into the curriculum, including the ‘Water - Learn It! Live It!’ program. Putting theory into practice, the school has created an outdoor classroom of indigenous plant corridors and a wetland depicting the biodiversity of the Elster Creek that once ran nearby. Drainage solutions divert storm water away from buildings onto the wetlands, and surface run-off is also contained. Other practical changes include saving 200.5kL of water per year by fixing just 10 dripping taps and installing seven rainwater tanks to water its gardens. This saving equates to almost 1,500 bathtubs.* Plans for new building upgrades incorporating water sustainable practices will further consolidate the school’s commitment to long-term water conservation – it has already installed dual flush toilets.

Peninsula Special Development School is not only saving 552KL of water per year through internal educative and practical initiatives, it is also influencing the broader community to save water.

After studying the world’s population versus water supply, students vowed to reduce water consumption; in just two years they introduced many water-saving solutions and changed water-wasting habits. The school also installed water tanks with a Community Water Grant.

Guided by a Sustainable Schools committee, each class has a water-saving responsibility, from checking drips in the drinking fountains and watering plants with left over water, to ensuring the gardens are well mulched. So that the schools own water restriction policy is followed, each class has a student-appointed ‘Water Rat’ to monitor taps and report any leaks.

Students are also introducing water management practices at home and touting their achievements through the local media to encourage others to be water wise.

An accredited Water - Live It! Learn It! school, Peninsula Special Development School is developing an assessment process to continually monitor water usage and keep water bills to a minimum.

Syndal South Primary, an accredited Sustainable and Waste Wise School, is saving up to 201KL of water per year – equivalent to almost 1,500 bathtubs.*

It has replaced its exotic plants with water wise natives that are heavily mulched and watered with overflow from drinking taps and two 10,000L rainwater tanks. A 250L rainwater tank provides water to the school’s free-range chickens, while another tank (solar powered and 7,000L) services the school’s greenhouses. All toilets have been converted to dual flush.

Syndal South PS also has a Garden Club, whereby students take care of the vegetable garden and monitor watering of the native garden during hotter months. Students are also responsible for propagating seedlings.

The water wise message is also stressed in the classroom, with grades three and four learning about conservation, the water cycle, storage and pollution.

Beyond the school, students last year worked with Monash Council and Friends of Scotchman’s Creek on a promotional campaign, and assisted in wetland plantings at the official opening of the Waverley Road Wetland.

Syndal South PS was a joint winner in the education category of the 2005 savewater! awards®.

* Calculation based on average bathtub size of 135L.