By Ms Rosie Ferrier-Giordano ‘I wanted to join the eco-council to make a difference so that we have a planet to live on when we are older.’ (Matilda Y6EM) Resilience is a key function of a sustainable system1; on a global or a local scale, such as within a student group, classroom, our school and its wider community. Underpinned by adaptability2, it is a skill that will equip our learners to create resilient, sustainable communities in a future of unprecedented change. Emerging from the second wave of online learning, the longest this academic year and the third since COVID-19 upturned our lives in 2020, I realised the last 14 months has been precisely that. A time of unprecedented change. It also occurred to me that despite the adversities of online learning, so much has sprung forth from this year and Green Valley has achieved some remarkable sustainability milestones. This newsletter, inaugurated barely one month ago, brought to fruition by Mahiro Noda (Y12) Eco-Council’s Chair, and which now provides a platform to reach our wider community, is just one incredible example. Likewise, the GV Green Matters website, blog, swap shop, eco-shop and eco-activities, the Grow2Give community gardening project, composting, and a beach clean-up partnership with Ban-Chang Beach Buddies are just a few of the whole school initiatives which have grown this year and are described more fully in May’s edition of the newsletter. ‘I like the eco-council because we come up with great ideas to help save the world’ (Max, Y4CDB). Perhaps, one of the most significant of these milestones, however, has been the establishment of the GV Eco-Council; an opportunity for the students’ voice, passion and dedication to drive change now in preparation for the future. Primary Eco-Council members began the year by conducting an environmental audit of their classrooms and school grounds. This is part of the seven-step framework towards achieving the Eco-School Program’s prestigious Bronze and Silver awards, but moreover, it enabled the students to engage meaningfully with their environment, take notice of areas such as biodiversity, energy consumption or transport facilities, and take ownership of action and the change process. From observing their surroundings, students identified points of concern and drew up a proposal of suggestions which was presented to Ms. Michelle and from which the first Primary Eco-Council Action Plan was established on March 12th 2021. ‘I like the eco-council because I can help the environment through projects at school like making eco-bricks and collecting Tetra-Pak cartons and lots more.’ (Kathy Y5AOH). Playground litter was an area of concern identified in the Primary audit, from which the Eco-council suggested the need for more recycling bins so that plastic bottles, plastic wrappers and Tetra-Pak (drink carton) waste could be separated and allocated to their specific recycling initiatives. Since our return to school from online learning, the Year 6 Eco-Council reps have been able to take responsibility for the ordering of the new recycling bins and submitted the expense form to Ms. Michelle for approval. The new bins will be visible in the TB1 and TB2 playground from Term 1 of 2021-22 academic year. (Fig. 1: Extract from Primary Eco-Council Action Plan 12th March 2021). ‘I like the eco-council because we do really fun things and I want to help the environment.’ (Pete Yr4LB). Designs for a new bike shed for staff and student bikes, a Primary poster competition to raise awareness to reduce light and air-con energy consumption in classrooms, a ‘Greenest Classroom Award’ and lobbying for even more outdoor learning are just some of the March 12th Primary action plans that are still in process and will now carry over into the next academic year. (Fig. 2: Extract from Primary Eco-Council Action Plan 12th March 2021). It seems appropriate therefore, in a year when the student Eco-Council and GV Green Matters has accomplished so much, that ‘Green Awards’ will be presented for the first time as part of the Progress and Attainment awards ceremony, and, whilst the contributions of those individuals stand out, they are also reflective of the combined vision and commitment to action which has given life to so many incredible eco-projects within Green Valley this year; a true testimony to the adaptability and resilience that students and staff have shown during these challenging months towards creating a sustainable community today and a sustainable planet for the future. 1Sterling, S. (2010). Learning for resilience, or the resilient learner? Towards a necessary reconciliation in a paradigm of sustainable education. Environmental Education Research (online)16(5-6): pp.511-528. Available at: DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2010.505427. 2 Gorden. S. (2020). Spark Talk Head of Green School Bali (online) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tIbY65FkJU.
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By FlorenceThe planting project was launched in April during online learning, and the team is hopeful and ambitious to encourage sustainable planting within the GV community. The growing project aims to fill the tree nursery behind the black box with saplings that, within the next three years, will be producing fruit. This fruit will be enjoyed by GV students, promoting healthy eating, as well as being sold for further investment in the project. Some of the saplings will be donated to the hand-to-hand charity and can be given to parents in the slums, providing fruit, shade, and perhaps a small amount of income.
The mangoes will be initially grown in the homes of primary and secondary students at Green Valley and brought into school when at the right age. From then on, some will be raised in the tree nursery and some will be given to hand to hand. If successful, this project can be rolled out across the other International schools in the area as well as the St. Andrews group. By Helena and MaisieLife in Color, Netflix’s latest nature series hosted by David Attenborough. This documentary is burning a trail for television productions in its use of cameras that capture spectrums of light invisible to the human eye. For the 95-year-old broadcaster and natural historian, it’s a lifelong dream come true. This documentary has three 1 hour episodes, and in those three episodes, David Attenborough explores the vital role that colour plays in the daily life of various species. For us humans, it is a source of aesthetic beauty and expression, but for animals, it is an essential tool used for survival and without it, there would be catastrophic consequences. Colours help animals to win a mate, to fight off rivals and to warn enemies. Attenborough explores nature's use of colour using technological advancements in camera equipment to reveal the world, as seen by animals. As well as learning about how colours fit into the food chain and how various species use colors to their advantage we also learn how the transformation of colours are affected by climate change. This is an informatic documentary that is perfect for a family evening. It is fascinating, bursting with information and completely understandable for all members of the family. What a legacy this documentary series has given us - fascinating keys to appreciating the wonders and peculiarities of the animal world, beautifully written, photographed and edited. And David Attenborough is still narrating on camera, 95 years young, all over the planet, in the middle of it all! Amazing. This documentary changed the way we look at some creatures, now we can finally look at a creature and understand why it has its vibrant colours and its beautiful shapes. This is an extremely interesting show. Well made, well narrated and makes you see the natural world as you have never seen it. We strongly recommend that you watch this documentary, seeing all of the colours from the point of view of a predator or prey. It's fascinating indeed. So, please try and find a few minutes today to check out this documentary! The Trailer of Life in Color By Helena and MaisieMy Octopus Teacher is a 2020 Netflix Original documentary film directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed. This heartwarming documentary shows the growing bond between humans and life underwater. Craig Foster went through a time of depression which led him to freediving. He explains how freediving helped him through this tough time by showing him a world outside of his own. He started to document his experiences and, in time, met a unique, curious young octopus that captured his attention. The documentary shows Craig Foster's growing relationship with the octopus. They form a bond where she becomes familiar with Foster and allows him to see into her world and how she sleeps, lives and eats. The octopus kept on letting him experience the danger and beauty of her world, he shows that having the octopus in the ocean shows him how there’s more to life than getting sucked into work or focusing on small details that will make you unhappy; she shows him that you can build bonds learn more and she gave him a point in his life. This documentary will enlighten you on the life of the octopus and creatures around, and perhaps even change your views of the ocean and the secrets that lie beneath it. We think that one of the most amazing things about a human being is the ability to connect to nature and other beings. Although in the times, this has been the least understood thing by humans - a story like this comes and shows you a new world of possibilities. Here comes a story of a man who followed the life of an Octopus over 300 days to not just fall in love with her but to find new meaning and direction for his life by learning from her. It may feel like just another documentary from Discovery days but as you start to connect this as a life story of Craig Foster, it starts to hit you as more than just a documentary. We strongly encourage you to watch this documentary, it will definitely change the way you look at marine creatures. The Trailer of my Octopus Teacher
Namtan and Yujin, both in Year 6, did a project looking at the issue of pollution as part of their Year 6 Exhibition.
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