St Patrick’s Parish Primary School in Port Fairy nominated as finalist for 2023 ResourceSmart Schools Awards

Sustainability-minded students at a Port Fairy primary school have been busy cleaning-up and protecting the environment. See all the photos.

Many students from St Patrick’s Parish Primary School have wanted to join the sustainability program over the last three years and now has a rotating weekly roster so all students get their shot to demonstrate their passion. Picture: Supplied

Sustainably-minded students from a primary school in Victoria’s southwest have demonstrated recognisable sustainability action, earning them two award nominations.

Environment and sustainability projects have become increasingly popular at St Patrick’s Parish Primary School in Port Fairy, with large numbers of passionate children requesting to join the school’s club over the last three years.

The school’s student-led sustainability team now boasts more than 90 students from Grade 1 to 6 and it operates on a weekly roster so each student gets a chance to take part.

St Patrick’s Parish Primary School has been nominated as a finalist for two award categories — The Student Action Team (Primary) and ResourceSmart School of the Year. Picture: Supplied

“It seems to be getting bigger and bigger which makes it better. More kids are aware and take that out into the real world so it’s terrific,” Grade 5/6 teacher Benson Steere said.

Mr Steere said the students were eager and determined to make a difference to benefit the environment.

Now “ingrained” in school culture, the team had taken part in activities such as Clean Up Australia Day while students had also planted trees, recycled and learnt about how to protect Indigenous plants.

“It’s also great to show the students how important it is to live sustainably — it’s not like a science lesson or something where they can like it or not — this is the way we want to live so it’s how they live at school and how they live out of school and speaking to their parents about it,” he said.

The school has been nominated for an award as part of the state government’s ResourceSmart Schools program, which delivers sustainability education to teach students to minimise waste, save energy and water, promote biodiversity and act on climate change.

It comes after the school learnt they were selected as a finalist and made the top three schools in the state for two categories in the ResourceSmart Schools Awards — the Student Action Team (Primary) and ResourceSmart School of the Year.

“It’s great that the work we’re putting in is going be shown on a larger scale because especially being from Port Fairy — we’re a small, little community so everything we do, everyone knows about that,” Mr Steere said.