Acknowledgement of Country
St Therese’s Primary School New Lambton acknowledges the Awabakal people, the traditional custodians of the land on which our school belongs, who have walked upon and cared for this land for thousands of years.
Mission of the Environmental Team
Environmental initiatives at St Therese’s reflect the vision of the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese to be a leader in sustainability and to play a proactive role in transitioning our region towards a more sustainable future.
Our projects at St Therese’s are inspired by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, which reminds us that we are stewards of creation and that “The earth is an environment to be safeguarded – a garden to be cultivated” (Laudato Si’, 2015).
Responsibility for the Environment at St Therese’s
All staff, students and visitors are responsible for the ongoing care of the environment at St Therese’s. The Environmental Team works collaboratively to promote cultural heritage, encourage stewardship, create welcoming spaces and foster a sustainable future.
Environmental Team
Each year, Year 5 students may nominate to join the Environmental Team for the following year. As Year 6 students, they lead and implement school environmental initiatives with the support of staff and parent volunteers.
Current Priorities and Recent Initiatives
– Preserve and promote cultural heritage
Through engagement with Aboriginal community members of our diocese, we have refurbished our Totem Pole space at the front of the school. This project provided a meaningful opportunity for the Environmental Team to participate in decision-making and the selection and planting of local flora that celebrates and preserves our shared cultural heritage.
– Encourage stewardship and ecological awareness
We are fortunate to be in a beautiful location, close to Blackbutt Reserve. We aim to extend this natural environment and provide a corridor for our native wildlife by planting predominately drought-tolerant endemic native species throughout our school. Students have researched, planned and replaced vegetation and underutilised outdoor spaces within the school to support our local ecology through habitat regeneration, floral resource provision and shelter for local wildlife. Including a Lizard Lounge for our resident blue tongue lizard population.
– Create a welcoming place for all
Our school recognises the importance of green spaces, landscaping and biodiversity to the health and well-being of our students, staff, visitors and the wider community. We are committed to integrating outdoor learning opportunities with our learning inside the classroom. Our Environmental Team has planned, planted and maintained our school vegetable garden, as well as researching and planting a herb garden for use in our outdoor mud kitchen spaces.
– Foster a sustainable future
St Therese’s is committed to continually evolving in our management practices to embrace new ideas and technology. The installation of solar panels on our infants’ buildings reduces our electricity costs and helps to fund our future environmental projects. Water tanks reduce mains water consumption while providing authentic learning opportunities about sustainable water use. Student leadership in waste reduction has led to expanded recycling practices and a reduction in landfill waste across the school. The Environmental Team has also replaced mulch beds with high density native planting to reduce the heat island effect that was impacting these spaces.