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Experience Your Best: School in Profile
...your Best
St Benedict’s Catholic School, Shaw is proof that showcasing world-class sustainability is possible, no matter the size or scale of a project. The Prep to Year 6 school is known as one of Australia’s greenest schools, embracing sustainable practices for the natural and built environments, nurturing a love for creation and stewardship.
Having been awarded a 6 Green Star rating (highest rating possible) by the Green Building Council Australia, the school continues to promote the importance of the environment to their students through education and engagement. Students are given the opportunity to be their best through a variety of different projects.
“At St Benedict’s Catholic School, we believe that some learning is best done with a hands-on approach where students are engaged in meaningful projects,” said Principal, Penny Collins.
This is done through the school’s eProjects, the ‘e’ stands for environment, engagement and educational.
“While we still develop our learning experiences based on the expectations of the Australian Curriculum, we use the eProjects concept to draw on certain aspects of some subjects to create a deeper, more enriched learning experience,” said Penny.
As shown in the Benedictine value of Stewardship, every student at St Benedict’s is called to encourage the sustainable use of all resources and seek to promote an awareness that we are part of a larger world. Our environment has been given by God for the sake of all.
• Preps: Minibeasts – Caring for our beehive and flower garden to encourage lots of birds, butterflies and other minibeasts to our play area! Nature play and sensory experiences build the awe and wonder of Creation.
Students build community connection with Townsville Beekeepers.
• Year 1: Billabong Buddies – Caring for our school Billabong and all the
Australian animals around a Billabong.
Connecting with the environment and community by going on an excursion to Billabong Sanctuary.
• Year 2: Eggs Benedict – Caring for our chickens! Learning about
Earth's Resources and how they are used, animal life cycles and incubating our own baby chickens.
• Year 3: Grow and Go – Preparing, growing, and looking after our own fruit and veggie gardens. Students will use produce to cook veggie fritters through the Stephanie
Alexander Kitchen Garden Program.
• Year 4/5/6: Reef Guardians – Protectors of the Reef! School waste audit with
Tangaroa Blue. Learning about Threats to the Reef. Students will design a solution to a local or global sustainability problem.
Key innovation and environmental initiatives that the whole school partakes in are the Recycling Centre, which includes recycling bins, food waste to worm farms, chickens and compost bins, collecting soft plastics, e-waste and containers for change. The school has beautiful outdoor learning spaces, including a butterfly garden, billabong, windmill, garden maze, stone creek and flowers to create a sensory experience.
The Bush Tucker Trail is a fantastic experience for students to learn about Indigenous perspectives, culture and to enhance their connection to nature.
Each year, St Benedict’s Catholic School hosts their Eco Fest in Term 3 where families and the community are invited to attend. The event showcases ways in which students undergo sustainable practices in their classrooms throughout the year in their eProjects. Amongst the students putting together their stalls to showcase their initiatives, local businesses and groups also partake in the Eco Fest to share their sustainable practices and give advice on how we can live a more sustainable life.
Through the priority of sustainability, students develop the knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary to contribute to more sustainable patterns of living. Environmental awareness has been made through curriculum development, sustainability projects and the enthusiasm of teachers, parents and the school community.
The Townsville Catholic Education Environmental Awareness Advisory Committee meets each term and works toward supporting environmental education for schools and parishes throughout the Townsville Diocese. This dedicated committee includes staff from a range of schools who plan and coordinate specific events such as Eco-Warriors. They support schools with curriculum advice and promotion of sustainable practices.
