Tidy Towns, Sustainable Communities Awards 2011, Schools Environment Award WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Cowra High School
Cowra High School has implemented a number of innovative environmental initiatives, cleverly aimed at increasing environmental awareness amongst students; demonstrating environmental management and assisting the School to be more environmentally self-sufficient.  The Positive Behaviour for Learning program rewards students who demonstrate positive behaviours.  The first phase of the program involves playground litter reduction and this has had a positive effect in its first year of operation.  Students are able to see practical examples of environmental management through installation of water tanks, photovoltaic cells and shade structures, planting of trees and consistency amongst staff and the parent body towards strong environmental management.

St Paul’s High School, Booragul in the locality of Toronto.
St Paul’s High School have a number of environmental initiatives that help their students to gain skills and knowledge about the environment, including, water, recycling, energy and biodiversity. Initiatives include recording solar data, reducing water use through a water tank, beautifying the garden through planting with provenance stock and recycling. The schools grounds are well developed and maintained, and show great pride in the school. The potential to teach students about solar and other forms of energy is a great innovation.

King Street Public School, Singleton
King Street Public School has had a high level of positive influence on environmental awareness in the area.  The popularity of the vegetable garden amongst the students has led many of them to establish their own gardens and compost bins at home.  The school has made this easier by propagating seedlings for the children to take home and use in their own gardens.  Many children have convinced their parents to buy them chooks for the multiple purposes of egg laying, waste disposal and pets.  The practical experience of mulching, water conservation, alternate energy systems, recycling and waste management can be used at home and introduced to the wider community.

Young High School
Young High School caters for 630 students and has a long list of environmental activities and achievements.  Two of the best environmental achievements include the water conservation and rainwater collection for use on the sporting fields and agriculture plots, as well as the amazing Wiradjuri Garden which incorporates environmental and cultural heritage as the schools centrepiece.    This garden is not only visually appealing but serves as an excellent cultural bridging and education tool, as well as providing numerous other learning and student engagement opportunities.

St Philip’s Christian College, Cessnock
St Philip's expansion to Nulkaba takes a holistic approach to the learning process. The site will become a community hub with a child care centre, a parent centre, a campus for young mothers, a trade training centre (Cert III), a program for educationally challenged youth, a family centre, energy research centre, community garden and an interpretive centre that includes the cultural history of the Wonnarua Tribe. This site will be a unique and innovative environmental concept with environmental walks with interpretive signs. The immediate focus is on the educational facility, sustainability centre and environmental walks.

Kyogle High School
Kyogle High School has adopted an environmental education model which reflects 9 key elements: 1. Biodiversity and School grounds, 2, Community and partnerships, 3. Curriculum, Learning and Pedagogy, 4. Water, 5. Litter and Waste, 6. Transport and Air, 7. Global Citizenship, 8. Healthy and Green Schools and 9. Energy. Through the development of the Youth Environment Council, and initiation of a range of onsite programs and networking across the region, a noticeable change has occurred in the attitudes and behaviour of residents of Kyogle.

Cessnock East Public School
The motto at Cessnock East Public School - "Promoting Excellence, Creating Success" is truly engendered in the staff, students & support systems that operate here. An enormous amount of energy & enthusiasm has gone into the development of solar energy, tank water capture, recycling/composting systems & garden beds for crop/food. Cessnock East provides a stimulating & balanced curriculum while valuing collaboration, dedication & communication amongst teachers, students & parents to build success for their students.

Forbes North Public School
Forbes North Public School has an impressive vegetable garden and orchard of fruit trees. It was the first to launch a Stephanie Alexander Garden and has a large kitchen with five work stations. Students can grow, harvest, prepare and share food through the program.  This is an evolving project with plans for a dining area, and further plantings. Students have worked with teachers, parents and community volunteers - partners include organizations such as the Lachlan CMA, Landcare, Forbes and Parkes Councils and a local mining company.

Zig Zag Public School, Lithgow
Zig Zag Public School has a well set out Environmental Management Plan which aims to utilise every opportunity to improve and develop the students’ understanding of their natural environment. Gardens and poultry houses are underway and food can be harvested, prepared in new school kitchens and eaten by the students themselves. Unused waste land is being developed into further productive areas such as orchards. The creek on the boundary, the National Parks nearby and the environment programs of several nearby Councils are all being incorporated as teaching and learning resources. Community involvement is encouraged at every step.

Nundle Public School
Nundle Public School is an integral part of the Nundle community and sharing of resources is the norm.  Students are assisted by members of the community, and the students participate in community activities such as tree plantings and the riverside restoration project.  A local store is provided with produce from the veggie patch and the school has cooking days as part of their ‘garden to the kitchen to the garden’ program.  Parents teach the students how to cook different meals from different types of veggies and any waste is composted or worm farmed to use in the garden.

Collingullie Public School, Wagga Wagga
The centrepiece of environmental education here is the impressive Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden "planting, growing, harvesting, preparing, sharing". Students regularly make a healthy lunch using produce from the garden. There is a strong cross-curricula approach to environmental education and this is reflected in the outstanding Environmental Management Plan. Programs have promoted strong change in the students' attitudes to their environment and their responsibility for looking after it. This attitudinal change has been reflected in the wider community. The school has produced a wonderful 21 page colour booklet - "Collingullie Public School: Creating a Sustainable Future".

Wollombi Public School
Wollombi Public School - Eco & Community Friendly - is the type of we would all like to go to. Reflections of past students are to be found in a publication which quotes reminiscence……"Our teacher.....true lover of nature that he was, his classroom was sometimes in the garden & often in the bush. We loved the frequent nature rambles & appreciated the beauty of our surroundings”……Wollombi Public School today sounds much the same, with its very holistic approach to education & the environment.