Year 7 students had a busy and fun filled
LIFE week. The focus for their week was centred around
Frederic Ozanam, along the theme of ‘Belonging to a Community.’ The values of compassion
and connection were promoted throughout the week, and students were afforded
several opportunities to answer their Big Question from Big Ideas, ‘How can we
make Ellenbrook more sustainable?’
On Monday, students completed section 1b of
the Camino Salvado. They were all really well behaved and kept a good pace, so
that we completed the walk almost an hour earlier than expected. The students
kindly supported each other throughout the day, and were all proud of their achievement
by the time we arrived in Guildford. This is the second section of the Camino
Salvado that the students have completed and they are beginning to understand
the significance of the journey they will take as they travel through their
time at Holy Cross College.
On Tuesday, we all headed to the Perth
Hills, where we split into two groups. Girls completed the Catchment Carers’ Trail,
which started at the Perth Hills Discovery Centre and finished at Mundaring
Weir. On their journey, they learned about Phytophthora (dieback) and what can be done to protect
our native vegetation from this disease. They also learned about the measures
that are put in place to keep our water supplies clean. The boys spent the day
at the Perth Hills Discovery Centre, where they learned of Aboriginal names for
plants, and how the Aboriginal people sustainably care for the environment.
They all had a go at throwing a spear and a boomerang, and made their own
weapon around an open fire, which would traditionally have been used to cut
open and skin a kangaroo!
On Wednesday, all students visited the Red
Hill Waste Management Centre, where the educational officer, Bronwyn, gave us a
tour, which went behind the scenes of the centre. Red Hill Waste Management
Centre is where all of the rubbish from the City of Swan is taken. We found out
how the landfill pits are lined to ensure that leachate doesn’t contaminate the
environment, and what the methane released by the rubbish is used for. We also discovered
that the landfill sites are covered each night to stop the rubbish from blowing
away, and to stop scavenger animals such as foxes and feral cats. We were
shocked by the statistic that 40% of all household waste is food scraps, and
also shocked by all the plastic bags we could see in the landfill. Bronwyn
stressed that single use plastics are a serious environmental concern, and
asked the students to think about using re-usable carriers. Students were also
encouraged to bring waste free lunches to school. Back at school, students
started to design a sustainable art work.
On Thursday and Friday, the students
designed and made art works in groups, with a focus on sustainability. Some
students made paper mache bins which will be used for recycled paper around
school. Others used reclaimed pallet wood to make planter boxes. We hope to
plant these boxes with herbs which can be used in the school kitchen or food
lessons. Some students created found object robots, while others used plastic
bottle tops to create art works. A final group of students created a mural to
be displayed in school, with a sustainability message. To round off the week, parents
were invited in for a sausage sizzle lunch. Following the lunch, students
shared their learning from the week in a learning journey, with all of their
visitors.
Mrs Laura Billington,
Year 7 Innovator.
