29 May 2017

Deborah Butler is the Sustainability Coordinator at St Justin's School, Wheelers Hill, and was the winner of the Sir John Monash Award for Sustainability Leadership, awarded by the City of Monash. The Awards recognise volunteers who contribute to their community and winners were announced at a ceremony on Thursday 11 May at the Monash Gallery of Art.

Deborah developed to school’s Sustainability program which began with a few chickens and vegetable gardens and progressed to an integrated Outdoor Garden to Kitchen program for P–6. Students engage in cooking, gardening and science linked to Sustainability. The Grade 6 Sustainability leaders are also encouraged to take action and assist with whole school activities such as Clean Up Australia Day, National Tree planting day, a Marine Ambassador program and recycling education to raise awareness and also encourage sustainable actions in the home and local community.

St Justin’s has put in place some wonderful initiatives for the students and the whole school community over the past few years in regard to Sustainability. Grade 6 leaders in Sustainability have led the way and the school community has been involved in composting, planting vegetables and herbs in the vegetable garden, water saving initiatives, cooking with the harvested produce and keeping chickens.

Deborah said, ‘Through our rich and diverse curriculum sustainability is embedded as a priority and the students are taught the importance of looking after our planet for future generations. On completion of their primary education our goal for all our students is that they are active global citizens who are ready to take their place in the world. The further development of our Sustainability program and increase links to STEM will contribute to this goal.’

Sustainability is a now a whole-school focus and the school is about to commence energy saving initiatives, education around Climate Change with TAKE2 and increase biodiversity of the school with long term plans for orchards and further planting.