Curriculum changes bring school sustainability focus

Balmoral School is sowing the seeds of success.

Excited classes at the school took turns to plant the first crops in the school garden last Friday, with the help of the local Palmers garden centre and dedicated parents and staff.

Passionfruit climbers, lemon trees, onions, feijoa trees and swan plants were some of the first to be planted.

Growth of the specially chosen lemon tree is eagerly awaited so that the children can make lemonade.

The plants will be used in a variety of ways, including in the school’s food technology classes and tuckshop, says associate principal David Pentecost.

Plans for the communal school garden were accelerated by a $4000 grant from the Auckland District Health Board.

Pentecost says around three quarters of the money has been used to establish the initial framework of the raised gardens.

He says the establishment of the garden has been in part because of a revised New Zealand curriculum regarding sustainability.

“Which meant we could do this today and start using it in the classroom.”

As part of the garden plan the school has also established worm farms and composting.

“We will be using them to integrate the concept of sustainability into everyday learning,” says Pentecost.

The school has been planning the garden for several years and received assistance from Palmers, whose staff helped to design the garden.

The school also had financial support from its parents-teachers association to buy planters.

Sustainability leader and teacher Rebecca Wharton says a group within the school, The Eco Warriors, has special responsibility for collecting rubbish and looking after the garden.

Teachers aid and mother Diana Gorden says her son loves the sustainability programmes.

“He’s really aware of plants now and the kind of management it takes to make them grow.”