Back to nature

St Louis de Montfort's primary school in Aspendale is very lucky to be located on 3.5 hectares of reclaimed swamp land bordered by bike paths and wetlands. However, as we are built on reclaimed land, the soil can be very difficult to work with and we are subject to flooding. The school opened in 1964 and is therefore a relatively young school to 760 students, 28 classes and 85 staff. As St Louis' Environmental Sustainability and Health and Wellbeing leading teacher, 1 have endeavoured to develop a whole school approach to sustainability by embedding long term change in our students and school community. WE ALL DELIGHT in watching children learn and are astounded by their aptitude for learning. We worry about the future for younger and unborn generations in a world of climate change and global warming but how well are we empowering youngsters to love the planet that is their home and to engage with her rhythms of creativity? This is a story of a school that is doing exactly that.