St James Parish School pupils have been recognised for their commitment to the environment.
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The Sebastopol school has received accreditation to become a three-star ResourceSmart School – a state government initiative that helps schools to reduce costs while teaching pupils about sustainability.
Pupils have integrated sustainable practices into many of their projects, including creating a vegetable garden with composting, organising plastic free wrapping days and changing to energy saving light bulbs.
They have placed signs on light switches and taps promoting efficient usage and publishing articles about sustainability in the school newsletter.
St James Parish School teacher Elise Fraser said the pupils had been working hard on their projects, with the older children teaching the younger children about a sustainable environment.
“The pupils can see the change. They can see how much has been saved,” Ms Fraser said.
She said the pupils would now work towards gaining a five-star accreditation.
Member for Buninyong Geoff Howard said ResourceSmart Schools took action to minimise waste, save energy and water, promote biodiversity and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
“I’d like to congratulate St James Parish School for their commitment to our environment by teaching students in a practical way about taking action on climate change,” Mr Howard said.
More than 1300 Victorian schools have signed up to ResourceSmart Schools.
Since 2008, Victorian schools have saved millions of dollars on energy costs, with an average annual saving of $1.3 million dollars.
To find out more about ResourceSmart Schools visit: http://www.resourcesmartschools.vic.gov.au/