By Marcus Uhe
The library at Lynbrook Primary School currently resembles an underwater haven of jellyfish, litter bugs and sea creatures.
As has unfortunately become commonplace in our vast environment too, there’s plastic bottles, egg cartons and other recyclables floating around, highlighting our climate emergency and the need to pay more attention to the world around us.
Thankfully, in the case of the Lynbrook reef, the two are working in harmony.
Inspired by National Recycling Week, the grade four students used empty bottles, bottle caps, egg cartons and more to hand-craft the fauna, as the school used the week to increase their knowledge about the broader cause along the way.
Driving the initiatives were year four teacher Laura Waldron and her year four teaching and learning coordinator Rebecca Bogos.
“It was all about how they can promote the message about looking after the environment through recycling and caring for the environment,” Ms Bogos said.
“It’s certainly a good way to decorate the library and bring the literature together.
“We purchased a lot of new picture books that have that message about caring for the environment and they’ve been on display throughout the term.”
The “nude food” challenge was issued to all students, encouraging them to bring a lunch lacking as much disposable rubbish as possible, and forcing a re-think in the way parents did the weekly shop; buying foods in bulk rather than individual packets, and packing unwrapped fruit and vegetables, for example.
Champions of resourcefulness from each year level were rewarded with prizes of lunchboxes and drink bottles at an assembly.
“The whole school got onboard and integrated it into our curriculum,” Ms Bogos said.
“We had different year levels do different activities, and the grade fours focused on up-cycling.
“Being a whole school focus, there’s a lot more momentum and focus when a whole school takes on a project.”
As you walk into reception you’ll find the battery and toothpaste tube recycling deposit boxes, while hanging from the back fence outside the library, an army of donated footwear formed the basis of the Gumboot Garden.
48 boots that were unable to be sold commercially were generously donated to the students by Merry People, which were filled with potting mix and plant cuttings, under a sign, also donated to the school, by The Label Project.
Of all the activities and creations to spawn from the week, Ms Bogos said the gumboot garden was her favorite.
“It’s pretty self-sufficient, the garden, but the grade fours just keep a check on it, especially after a weekend, we hope there’s no damage,” Ms Bogos said.
“We planted succulents and pig face. The succulents were donated to us by the community. I think the only thing we purchased was the potting mix.
After three years of covid-19 interruptions, a percentage of Lynbrook’s 875 student cohort are yet to experience a full year in the classroom, with consequences for the broader school community.
Ms Bogos said the week was a fantastic opportunity for the parents, who so-often acted as substitute teachers during the pandemic and enforced remote learning periods, to come as experience their kids’ creations for themselves.
“Our parent community is very supportive.
“We’re gradually getting back to normal, they had to stay away so for long. Having them come in and being able to see what’s on display is really good, really rewarding, and it means school and home are working together, which is best for the kids.
“It’s about taking that learning from school and taking it home, so that the community is learning as well.”
