Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
Genesis 2:15
As part of our Christian tradition we are called to be stewards of God’s creation. At St Joseph’s we are committed to the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices.
Environment and sustainability education is imbedded throughout our learning and teaching as well as in the way we go about our daily business here at St Joseph’s. There are many ways in which we engage students in learning about this vital concept. We have a working kitchen and garden where students care for, grow, harvest, prepare and share the produce. There is a strong focus through our Patch To Plate Programme for students to have ‘hands-on’ experiences in gardening, harvesting, food preparation in our kitchen and sharing a meal together so that they adopt lifelong skills and positive food relationships. Through the learning and teaching process, planned and explicit links to the Victorian Curriculum are consistently made.
As part of our commitment to the environment, St Joseph’s has been a registered ResourceSmart school since 2017.
What is ResourceSmart?
A Victorian Government initiative that helps schools become more sustainable – reducing their costs and creating real life learning opportunities.
What is Involved?
Schools take action to minimise waste, save energy and water, promote biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. St Joseph’s is currently completing the Core Module before moving onto Water, Waste, Biodiversity and Energy .
How will this benefit St Joseph’s?
When we reach 5 stars we will become a leadership school. We will lower the cost of utilities and lower the running costs of the school. This will increase the available funds to put into resources and programmes for student learning.
What is our aim?
Our aim is to become a 5 star leadership school and to be recognised for what we have already achieved. We are also aiming to embed sustainable practices in all we do and improve our ecological footprint.
