Teachers' Professional Development (TEN)

Teacher Environment Network: Sustainable Gardens and Outdoor Learning Spaces

Date: Wednesday May 19
Cost: FREE
Time: 4-5.30pm
Topic: Sustainable Gardens and Outdoor Learning Spaces
Location: St James Catholic Parish Primary School, 6 St James Close, Brighton

Come along for a tour of St James Catholic Parish Primary School’s new Heritage Garden and outdoor learning space.  Dave Ferrier, a school parent and arborist, turned to his creative skills during the 2020 lockdown to design, lead and construct this showcase of sustainability. 

Through the hard work of parents and friends, old artificial surfaces have been replaced with a natural wonderland. After learning at home, students were welcomed back to school in 2021 to a new sensory garden, made from natural materials like wood, fallen tree branches and river stones. Play spaces to feed imagination were linked by an ‘adventure trail’ through a dry creek bed hiding a crocodile and other friends. And for teachers, a new outdoor classroom around a ‘campfire’. 

The herb garden and first stage of the Urban Food Forest soon followed, with herbs, tomatoes and peppers planted to thrive over summer. Plans are being made for the next stage of the project – a new ‘bush tucker’ garden developed with guidance and education from the Boon Wurrung community.

Come along and hear from leadership, parents and students about how this initiative took off, the value it’s providing to the school community and how the outdoor space is being integrated into student learning. 

You can register for the event below. 

These free professional learning events are run each term support school and ELC educators, staff and parents to:
Network
Share resources
Connect to the local environment.

A wide range of topics is covered with a focus on embedding sustainability and environment education in classroom teaching.

Emphasis is on STEAM/STEM and inquiry-based learning with a variety of topics covered such as climate change and ecosystems, habitat improvements for local species and plastics in our oceans and on land.  Our workshops are open to all teachers and members of school-based "green teams" who are motivated to bring the issue of sustainability to the fore in their schools. Schools who are enrolled in the Resource Smart Schools Program will find these workshops helpful in providing inspiration and direction.  

Please save these Teachers' Environment Network (TEN) workshop dates in your 2021 calendar!

Wednesday May 19th 4-5.30pm: Sustainable Gardens and Outdoor Learning Spaces
Tuesday August 17th 4-5.30pm  Topic TBA
Thursday October 28th 4-5.30pm Topic TBA