Eastern Suburbs Sustainable Schools Network

The Eastern Suburbs Sustainable Schools Network (ESSSN) welcomes local parents,  teachers and early childhood educators wanting to network and share ideas about school sustainability.

The Network is coordinated between Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick Councils, who plan the meetings, organise guest speakers and workshop activities. The Council’s work in a variety of ways to support early learning centres, through to high schools to implement real life sustainability learning. If you want to be kept informed about upcoming meetings make sure you are on your Councils contact list by emailing the relevant Council your details. Council contact information is below.

At the end of each school year, the ESSSN hold the Sustainable School Awards, where schools and early learning centres are rewarded for their outstanding sustainability achievements.

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2019 meeting dates...

  • Term 1 - Wed 20 February - 3:45-5:15pm - Natural Therapy
  • Term 2 - Tuesday 21 May - 3:45-5:15pm - Sustainable Canteens - Reducing School Waste
  • Term 3 - Tuesday 20 August - 3:45-5:15pm
  • Term 4 - Tuesday 19 November - 3:45-5:15pm

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Term 4 2018 Meeting Wrap Up - Outdoor Classroom

David Walsman from My Organic School discussed how to setup an outdoor classroom with raised vegie beds and student work desks at your school.

Topics covered...

  • how to build and fund (working example at Bronte Public School).
  • areas of the Australian curriculum incorporated in the outdoor class room curriculum.
  • about engagement with the local community.
  • harnessing volunteer parent teaching aids for the outdoor classroom. (sustainable community)
  • the benefits of using the outdoor classroom for all curriculum areas inc. numeracy and literacy. 

The ‘My Organic School outdoor classroom curriculum” draws extensively on both the “Australian Curriculum” and  the “Australian Professional Standards for Teachers as applied by NESA (NSW Educators Authority.)

Term 3 2018 Meeting Wrap Up - Threatened Species

For our Term 3 gathering we ventured out to Nielsen Park, discussing Threatened Species in our area. Thanks to David Thompson and Jakki Trenbath from Naitonal Parks & Wildlife Service for showing us the Nielsen Park She-oak that is unique to our area and guiding us through a hands-on activity to identify this species. Our discussions about threatened species and wildlife resources generated a terrific list of materials, websites and apps that can support teachers - available here.

Term 2 2018 Meeting Wrap Up - Native Bees

Our Term 2 meeting was held in The Classroom at the Randwick Community Centre, and what a great afternoon it was! Native Bee expert Elke Haege showed us how to create a home for native solitary and social bees in our school gardens.

Term 1 2018 Meeting Wrap Up - Indigenous Gardens

A big thank you to Peter Dawe and Brenden Moore from Botanic Gardens & Centennial Parklands for teaching us about indigenous gardens. What to plant, how it grows, plant uses,  as well as a great insight into indigenous culture.

Get your indigenous gardens fact sheet here if you missed out on the meeting. 

Thanks also to our friends at Centennial Park education program for hosting us. 

Here is a link from the Randwick Nursery of local food, medicine and other useful native plants.

 

Check out the blog

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Claim teacher professional learning accreditation for attending meetings

Department of Education teachers who attended our Eastern Suburbs Sustainable Schools Network meetings can now log in through their department portal and register for two hours of accredited professional learning. As long as you turn up and sign in you will be accredited. 

You can apply through MyPL on Course Code: NR09055 under course 'Sustainability Network'.

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/professional-learning/mypl/department-of-education-staff

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Council contacts

Feel free to get in contact if you have any questions or ideas about the Network.

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