Schools Clean Up Day 2021
In honour of Clean Up Australia Day & Schools Clean Up Day, our MPPS Green Team along with the prep students stepped up to clean up litter in our school yard and gardens. The students worked safely and efficiently to clear any rubbish in site and did a wonderful job at it. MPPS is looking sparkling clean and is a safe environment for local wildlife and insects to roam and inhabit. Well done to all of our students involved in the big clean up and a special thanks to our brilliant Green Team leaders from grades 4, 5 and 6 who are inspiring students of all ages to work towards a more sustainable future for all.
FROM GARDEN BEDS TO OUR MOUTHS
From our veggie gardens to our plates. CLC students enjoyed eating salad that they have cultivated, picked, washed, chopped, prepared and enjoyed!
Woolworths Discovery Garden
Thanks to Woolworths Mernda for helping us create our own discovery garden.
Take your e-waste to a better place
Simon Creek Investigation for Yan Yean during Term 3 2019
During term 3 students from Yan Yean conducted weekly investigations on the health and condition of our local Simon Creek. This program was supported by two education officers from the Darebin Creek Management Committee – Peter and Candice who are experts in this field and worked closely with our students. Each week the students became scientists involved in conducting different experiments to measure a number of aspects of creek life, for example water testing, habitat surveys, finding water bugs etc. They then used the data they collected to make statements about the health of Simon Creek and discussed what elements could be impacting it eg new housing subdivisions, the building of Mernda Rail etc. The students then devised debate topics that they argued for and against based on the knowledge they had gained from their experiments at the creek.
Simon Creek Water Investigation
MPPS students became real life water scientists by investigating the health of Simon Creek. We asked the students to think about how we can help look after Simon Creek and the things that live in and around it. With the help of Peter and Therese from the Darebin Creek Education Program MPPS students conducted experiments that measured temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity and turbidity using scientific testing equipment.
Carome Homestead Art Unveiling
In 2017 senior students at Mernda Park Primary School were lucky enough to be involved with Whittlesea Council and Baseline Youth Services to create sustainability inspired artwork in response to the problem of ongoing graffiti and vandalism at the Mernda Community Gardens. The students and teachers worked tirelessly to construct five scarecrows scattered around the garden and eight large bottle top sculptures mounted to wall. Sustainability is very important to us at Mernda Park Primary, we wanted to incorporate reusing into our artwork. All the students at our school spent weeks collecting bottle tops that grade three and four children worked diligently to transform into sculptures based on plants and animals that can be found in our local community.
Fruit Trees
Last year we planted apple and pear trees that have been growing quite well. We are hoping for some fruit this year.
The Green Cones Composter System
We now have The Green Cone Composter System this is a smart, easy-to-use, efficient tool, which reduces waste and eliminates most of the problem of food disposal. Food waste throughout the school is daily emptied into our two green cones. This is a clean, healthy way to minimize waste that ends up in landfill thus helping our environment. The Green Cone Composter is primarily constructed from recycled materials, and the digestion basket and inner solar chamber are made from 100% recycled plastic.
The Green Cone Composter System is designed to accelerate the natural decomposition process by raising temperatures, maintaining aerobic conditions, and encouraging the growth of micro-organisms. The system processes almost all household food waste, including vegetable scraps, raw and cooked meat or fish, bones, dairy products and other organic food waste such as bread and pasta. The food waste is converted into water, carbon dioxide and a small amount residue, without the need for mixing or turning the waste. Our green cones are situated on the northern side of our school ground near the basketball courts.
The Green Cone Composter System is designed to accelerate the natural decomposition process by raising temperatures, maintaining aerobic conditions, and encouraging the growth of micro-organisms. The system processes almost all household food waste, including vegetable scraps, raw and cooked meat or fish, bones, dairy products and other organic food waste such as bread and pasta. The food waste is converted into water, carbon dioxide and a small amount residue, without the need for mixing or turning the waste. Our green cones are situated on the northern side of our school ground near the basketball courts.