Schools

Waverley Council's Sustainable Schools program aims to assist schools to implement environmental education initiatives and environmental projects. The sustainable schools program began in Waverley in 2003 when the Department of Education introduced the Schools Environment Policy and it has grown over the years with more and more schools involved and more sustainability actions being achieved.

Upcoming Events - 2012

  • Eastern Suburbs Sustainable Schools Network (ESSSN) - Term 1 Meeting - Thursday 23 February 2012, from 3.45pm to 5.15pm, location TBA - all welcome! To join the email group to receive meeting details, agendas, minutes and general information relating to sustainability in schools please contact Council's Environmental Education Officer on 9369 8045 or email environment@waverley.nsw.gov.au.
    Please note - we will be continuing to offer a child minding service at this meeting with environmentally related activities for kids of all ages. For more information on the ESSSN, see below or visit our new page on the Reduce your Footprint website - 

Program:


ESSSN Network

The Eastern Suburbs Sustainable Schools Network involves teachers, parents and students from schools in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs who have an interest in sustainability and environmental education. Its purpose is to facilitate the exchange of ideas, knowledge and resources. Waverley Council provides support for the members of the network.

For more information on the ESSSN, visit our page on the Reduce your Footprint website

The next meeting will be held on Thursday 23 February 2012, from 3:45 to 5.15pm - location TBA.Teachers, Parents and Council staff sharing knowledge and information at an ESSSN meeting in September 2009
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Audits and SEMPs

Audits and School Environment Management Plans (SEMPs) are an excellent way of documenting a schools vision to become sustainable and planning how to get there. They are mandatory for state schools and encouraged for private schools.

As the first step to developing a School Environment Management Plans an environmental audit should be conducted. An environmental audit will identify the major environmental impacts of a school and outline areas where significant benefits could be made. The resources to undertake a School Audit and SEMP are available on the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change’s Sustainable Schools website. This can be a daunting task for schools if they have no experience in doing one. Council’s Environmental Team can come and help you conduct a school audit with the students and help you to develop your SEMP.


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Recycling

Waverley Council offers free recycling to schools for both paper and plastics (including aluminium, tin etc).

Before schools start recycling it is necessary to determine how you can avoid creating waste in the first place. Council can discuss the waste hierarchy - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – with you and how to apply this in a school context.

Recycling at schools is easy but requires planning into its operation and ensuring that it is supported by the right behaviour and attitudes. Before schools are provided with recycling bins, Council can assist students in organising a waste audit, creating an action education plan to get all students recycling. Without this, recycling does not work due to high levels of contamination in recycling bins.


Assistance

If you have an idea or an environmental issue that needs solving at your school, Waverley Council can assist in helping you by providing advice, information, and support.


Grants

Schools need funding to implement actions in their SEMP’s and for other projects. Sometimes it’s difficult to know where to find funding or how to go about getting it. For the past four years the Sustainable Schools Program has had grants available for schools, this year we have opened this up for other groups and organisations to be able to apply as well and it is combined with the Community Small grants administered through Community services. There will be two rounds per year, with rounds closing every August and February. Follow the link to view the  small grants program guidelines

 

Previous grants projects

2009: Bondi Public School $4000 for creating irrigation from their rainwater tanks to their garden and extending the garden further. Waverley Public School $3500 for establishing a fruit and vegetable garden Moriah College Middle School $ 3449 for establishing a vegetable garden to be used in language lessons and other parts of their curriculum Montessori East $4000 towards their “Eco-refuge” transforming their synthetic grass playground into a natural area with edible gardens

2008: Moriah College Junior School: $965 for “Composting Food Scraps” Waverley College: $3430 for “Something Simple and Beautiful Native Hedge”

2007: Clovelly Public School: $4000 for “Bush Tucker Garden” Rose Bay Secondary School: $4000 for “Gadigal Gardens” Galilee Catholic Primary School: $400 for “Effective Plastics Recycling Program”

Other Council Programs

There are many other grants available to schools for environmental projects please contact the environmental education officer if you would like to know about grants available or would like assistance in applying for them.

Other programs for students and schools to get involved with in Waverley

For further information please contact Council's Environmental Education Officer, Jodie Savage.

Phone: 9369 8045
E-mail: jodies@waverley.nsw.gov.au

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