Sustainability


Silverton Students Taking Action on Climate Change

Silverton students from the Kids Teaching Kids Program met with Julian Hill M.P and Mark Butler Shadow Minister for the Environment to present them with their quilted messages about transitioning to renewable energy to minimize the risk of global warming and climate change.



Students asked them to take the quilt to Parliament House which they did and presented the quilt to Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek.




https://www.facebook.com/JulianHillMP/posts/proud-to-carry-silverton-primary-schools-climate-change-message-quilt-to-canberr/1563228040473089/



Electricity Reduction Plans at Silverton


As part of our schools’ commitment to becoming more sustainable and the Resource Smart Program, students in grade five and six have been reviewing our school’s energy data from electricity bills. They have been doing this to monitor our schools energy reduction progress. Over the past year our school community has been focused on saving energy to reduce our carbon emissions and also save money for our school.

Students have also been learning about how the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and the production of methane from food waste in landfill is increasing global warming leading to climate change.

 They have come up with the following ideas to help our school reduce our energy usage and greenhouse gases emissions from landfill

 

Energy Reductions Ideas

  • Turn off lights and use natural lighting when available
  • Open blinds for light
  • Wear suitable clothing in Winter and Summer to reduce heating and cooling

Energy and Waste Data

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

 

Electricity Usage

Kwh per student

--------

473

405

402

389

358

Waste produced  per student in m3

0.34

0.43

0.43

0.45

0.43

 

0.48

 

  • Open doors to reduce heat in the classrooms instead of using the Air con
  • Switch off computers, T.V’s, heaters air con and other appliances after use
  • Charge laptops at home
  • Change to LED lighting
  • Install sensor lights in learning centres
  • Install Solar power/ wind turbines
  • Close doors when the heaters are on.
  • Shut doors when air con is on
  • Use less computers and more books
  • Turn appliances off at the wall

Food waste to Landfill Reductions Ideas

  • Ask parents to pack less food in student snack and lunches
  • Ask parents to give their children food that they will eat
  • Get students to pack their own lunches
  • Get students to put fruit and vegetable scraps into the compost bins
  • Put compost bins around the school ground for snack and lunch
  • Students can take their left over food home so parents know what their children eat and don’t eat

Our school goal was to reduce our off peak electricity usage by making sure all electrical items are turned off after use and particularly by the end of the school day.

Our data show that From June to December in 2018 we reduced our peak and off peak use of electricity for 5 out of the 7months. Overall we have reduced our electricity use by 6.4% from 2017 – 2018 which means that we have exceeded our target to make of 5% reduction.

 However this year we have increased our peak energy use for Jan, Feb and March from 2018 data and have only reduced our off peak for Feb and March.

This means that we will have to make sure we all promote energy saving actions and find more ways to save electricity and get back on track.

We are doing this my putting notes on electrical equipment such as T.V screens and computers.

 Making sure that lights get switched off at the end of the day and that heaters and air conditioners only get turned on when needed and are thermostatically controlled at set temperature range.

Each learning centre has come up with an Energy Shutdown Plan that identifies what needs to be monitored, switched off, when and by who.

Students in Grade 5/6   were also invited by the City of Greater Dandenong who are developing their Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, to have their say about what the CGD should be doing to tackle global warming and climate change. Students filled our surveys and wrote their ideas and opinions on what actions need to be taken to reduce the impact of climate change. They also took copies of the surveys home to explain to their parent about global warming and encourage parents to also fill out the survey.


New Native Bee Species Found

We have spotted a new native bee species at school hovering around our basil flowers.

We now have the Chequered Cuckoo Bee in our vegetable garden in addition to our Blue Banded Bee.

What’s growing at Silverton?

We are currently growing basil, eggplants, chillies and pumpkins in the garden.

 

Marine Ambassador Rickett’s Point Excursion

On Friday 22nd of March ten Marine Ambassador Student’s from Silverton went to Rickett’s Point Beach at Beaumaris to learn about our amazing marine environment in Port Phillip Bay.

Students went snorkelling, rock pool rambling and looked for aquatic macro invertebrates in the sea grasses.

 The weather was perfect and we had a fantastic time.

Pond Renovation Reality Group.

 This term students from the Pond Reality group with assistance from the Vegie Garden Paving Reality Group have been renovating our pond area at school.

 This area will house our water dragons that are currently living in a small enclosure.

Students and teachers have been hard at work, removing all of the rocks, soil and dead plants from the dried up pond before removing the huge black plastic liner.

We have bought two prefabricated ponds and are now in the process of placing the ponds into the area, backfilling the soil and re arranging the rocks.

 

 Next term we will buy new plants and install Perspex screening over the pool fence to prevent the lizards from escaping. The old enclosure will be placed within the larger enclosure for the lizards to retreat to when the weather becomes cooler.

 We are looking for laserlite or poly carbonate to put around the perimeter pool fence to stop the lizards escaping through the bars. If anyone has any contacts in the trade of these materials please get in touch with Mr O’ Connor or Mrs. Blake.

 

Tangaroa Blue Project

Students taking part in the Marine Ambassador Program have been invited by the City of Greater Dandenong to take part in a Tangaroa Blue School’s Project. The attended a workshop at Athol Rd primary School on Monday 1st of April. They learnt about the impact of marine debris and plastic pollution on our wildlife and environment. It also provided an opportunity for our students to work with students from other local schools to develop a message through an art piece that will help educate the community on how they can contribute to a healthier environment. The art piece will be displayed at the Greater Dandenong Sustainability Festival helping to promote the message of reducing reusing and recycling plastic waste.



The festival is being held at Dandenong Market on Sunday 7th of April.

 See details below