Hello Everyone,
The garden project is a key part of our current Wellbeing Plan for the school. As Mr. Cornish has written in his above comments, we're really honing in on School Culture as an area for growth. One way of doing this is ensuring students feel they have a sense of belonging and purpose at their school. Students who feel like they belong are more happy, more empathetic and, importantly for learning, more motivated. Every child in the school will have the opportunity to be a part of the creation and maintenance of this welcoming space.
The garden has been planned in three stages for the enjoyment of all but with an eye to learning about inclusivity and diversity. Firstly, we have constructed an agricultural and science focused space where each class have their own garden bed, these can be used for learning about plants; propagation, growth, pollination and more. The next section focuses on tactile and sensory plants. Sensory gardens stimulate and appeal to all five senses and are a fantastic space for mindfulness, this environment will be a calming place to go when stressed. Finally, the native garden provides us with a place to explore Australian and particularly First Nations identities through the lens of caring for country. This space will be decorated with artwork the students have made during Reconciliation Week and host a range of trees and plants that are all native to Australia.
The possibilities of these three spaces to improve student mental health and wellbeing are innumerable and we would love the continued help of the school community to make it a reality.
I also extend my thanks to all the parents and community members who contributed to our working bee last week; a heart-warming demonstration of the kindness in our school community.
Thanks everyone,
Michael Rostig