Future workshops from June 08 to June 09 are currently in planning stages.

Once workshops are finalised, a 2008 / 2009 program will appear here. Stay Tuned!

Programs for ACT teachers!

Finally teachers are getting what they have asked for - an ACT curriculum package to educate for a sustainable future !

On November 30 over 100 people attended the official launch of the new AuSSI ACT Toolkit. The toolkit was then distributed to all ACT schools to ensure teachers had access to these programs prior to Term 1 2008.

The toolkit contains 2 parts:

1. Educating for Sustainability through the ACT Curriculum.

Programs for P-10 on water, energy, biodiversity, waste and climate change.

2. Your Operational Guide to becoming a sustainable school

Step by step guides to establishing a sustainable school in water, energy, biodiversity, waste and curriculum

AUSSI ACT worked with many local organisations in 2007 to provide schools with this curriculum resource aligned to the new ACT Curriculum Framework from P -10.

It contains ten week programs on water, energy, biodiversity, waste and climate change containing local information and supporting resources from our local experts that is relevant to our ACT schools!

We worked in stages to develop a curriculum package called "Educating for Sustainabilitythrough the ACT Curriculum" which will provide teachers with a curriculum resource from P -10 in the areas;

Many teachers develop fantastic units of work on areas such as water, energy, waste, biodviersity and climate change. If you have developed a unit of work focused on any area of sustainability and are happy to share it with us, please email it to vanessal.whelan@act.gov.au and we will place it here on this website for all teachers to enjoy and use.

Early Childhood

A Window into our Environment ( , 3Mb) - Michelle Ashworth, Michelle Hamer, Sue Norton and Kellie Kingston

Sustainability Unit

Later Childhood

One step makes a difference ( , 1Mb)

Integrated Proforma Unit

Early Adolescence

Later Adolescence

The ACT Department of Education and Training, in partnership with the National Heart Foundation of Australia (ACT Division), have developed an initiative called The ACT Department of Education and Training School Canteen Accreditation (DETSCA). This initiative is a school canteen development program. It offers a model that supports best practice and provides reassurance to the whole community that high quality food and health and safety standards are being met in ACT school canteens.

DETSCA is based on the Health Promoting Schools model. Individual schools implement and initiate change and improvement as they are a self-assessing body. Schools voluntarily participate in DETSCA. Being a part of this has great advantages and DETSCA awards and supports schools operating healthy choice canteens by using a rating system. Incentives are also offered to schools that work towards improving policy, management, menu selection, classroom links, marketing and promotion activities, food safety and hygiene standards, occupational health and safety standards, and environmental awareness.

The canteen is an integral part of a school and reflects the values and ethos of the school in terms of health and well-being. With the increased pace of our society many families rely on the canteen to provide children with their recess and lunch, and in some schools, breakfast too. Canteens are therefore providing most of the students' daily intake of food. To help educate students for healthy eating in the future, to keep their brains fueled in class and to give them a healthier life, canteens are meeting with the school board, parents and community to make the choices in their canteens healthier.

Canteens are also a site for waste. Getting canteens involved in the Sustainable Schools Initiative will help reduce waste in this area. Managers of canteens will be aware of the recycling processes in the school, including paper, plastics and organic materials. A part of waste management is ‘Smart Purchasing’. This involves investigating the packaging of products and contacting suppliers to find the best products that meet the recycling needs of the school.

For more information about DETSCA contact: actsca@optusnet.com.au

Building Service Officers play a key role in ensuring schools function well. The Department of Education and Training is working with BSO’s to train them in sustainable practices around the school.

Earlier this year BSO’s had a training day at Birrigai focussing on the school environment. Guest speakers from ActewAGL presented information about indoor water efficiency and irrigation efficiency. A horticulturalist from Rodney’s Nursery discussed planting water efficient plants for school environments. A member from HEAT (Home Energy Advice Team) talked about being energy efficient in schools. A staff member from Sustainable Schools gave an overview about the AuSSI ACT and explained what partnerships could be developed with BSO’s to help support and implement the initiative in ACT schools.

During Term 1 2007 there are many professional development days for BSO’s to attend. The focus this term is Water Wise, looking at irrigation, composting and conserving water in the school. For dates and information about professional development for Building Service Officers go to:

http://activated.det.act.gov.au/admin/word/CareerDevelopmentCalendar.pdf ( , 127kb)

This spot is for students!

We would like to hear from students from any schools who have been involved in the AUSSI ACT or are getting involved!

If you or your class have any great ideas, photos, powerpoints or projects that you have done or are doing and you would like to share it with other students, please email vanessal.whelan@act.gov.au

www.planetkids.biz

www.decs.act.gov.au

activated.det.act.gov.au/learning/curri_renewal.htm