School Environment Management Plan
The St Joseph's School Environment Management Plan incorporates our Vision, Mission, Green Procurement Policy and Goals.
St Joseph’s Education for Sustainability Vision & Mission
At St Joseph’s we strive to create a learning environment where our community is empowered to:
As stewards of God’s creation everyone at St Joseph’s School is working together to become the most sustainable school community that we can be. Staff and students are positive role models for sustainability within our community and strive towards enhancing our healthy environment for all, both now and in the future. St Joseph’s School develops responsible, resilient and respectful citizens who make informed decisions to reduce their impact on the environment.
We will achieve this by integrating sustainability into all areas of the curriculum and instilling a sense of ownership and pride in the environment, caring for God’s creations. We will lead the community by demonstrating exemplary practices in waste management, water and energy usage, and develop our school grounds to promote biodiversity.
St Joseph’s Implementation plan for sustainability education
Our school will implement a hands on approach to education for sustainability through the curriculum at each year level and whole school events. Student learning will focus on taking action within the school and wider community.
Our school will support an active sustainability coordination team that involves student environment representatives, staff, students, parents and other members of our school and local community.
Waste
We will include the whole school community in the process of developing a ‘Waste Wise’ school to minimise landfill and maximise recycling and composting.
Energy
We will include the whole school community in the process of developing an ‘Energy Efficient’ school where we use resources and equipment as efficiently as possible and increase the use of carbon neutral energy sources.
Biodiversity
We will encourage an appreciation of the natural environment through learning experiences and by enhancing the school vegetable garden and supporting local flora and fauna.
Water
We will appreciate water as a natural and precious resource and involve the whole school community in the planning of water conservation and use our resources and equipment as efficiently as possibly.
St Joseph’s Green Purchasing Policy
St Joseph’s is committed to the use and purchase of environmentally and socially responsible materials, products and services whenever they perform satisfactorily, are safe and are value for money over the lifetime of the product.
Authorised purchasing officers are expected to support our commitment to environmental responsibility through the guidelines and procedures contained in this Green Purchasing Policy. It is the responsibility of the purchasing officer to be aware of potential impacts that a products life cycle will have on environmental and human health and to consider the school’s Green Purchasing Policy when purchasing goods, materials or services to ensure that our goals are met.
St Joseph’s School objective is to reduce impacts on the environment and human health through changing purchasing behaviour. By adopting a Green Purchasing Policy, the school aims to:
At St Joseph’s we will embed a sustainable focus across all areas of the curriculum. There will be an environmental focus incorporated into the inquiry units across all year levels. The staff Sustainability Leader will deliver units of work relating to each of the resource areas;
Energy
St Josephs Primary School Sustainability Snapshot
This Sustainability Snapshot forms part of our School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP). In our Snapshot, we are documenting workplace, infrastructure and daily operations and community engagement plus identifying opportunities for improvement.
Reviewing our Sustainability Education
At St Joseph’s we are committed to ensuring our sustainability practice and policies are contemporary and up to date. This Sustainability Education Management Plan will be reviewed and updated annually as part of our review of curriculum and policy. This review will involve leadership staff including the Principal, Deputy Principal and Sustainability Leader, any changes will be communicated with the school community.
St Joseph’s Education for Sustainability Vision & Mission
At St Joseph’s we strive to create a learning environment where our community is empowered to:
- live Gospel values to be stewards of God’s creation
- make a positive contribution to society and the environment
- confidently adapt to a world of change
- value uniqueness and diversity
- think globally and act locally with environmental awareness
- conserve natural resources where possible
- believe in the co-creative role that God has granted us as part of his Kingdom in our relationship with each other and the environment.
- We educate our community in our Catholic faith and traditions which emphasises our responsibility to be custodians of the earth.
- We develop a sense of responsibility for the natural environment and become active and worthwhile members of the community.
- We provide an innovative, encouraging and nurturing environment that fosters individual growth, awareness and action related to building a sustainable future.
- We develop skills which encourage critical reflection and risk taking through understanding of a changing world.
- We consolidate sustainability and environmental education as an integrated theme for P-6 curriculum.
As stewards of God’s creation everyone at St Joseph’s School is working together to become the most sustainable school community that we can be. Staff and students are positive role models for sustainability within our community and strive towards enhancing our healthy environment for all, both now and in the future. St Joseph’s School develops responsible, resilient and respectful citizens who make informed decisions to reduce their impact on the environment.
We will achieve this by integrating sustainability into all areas of the curriculum and instilling a sense of ownership and pride in the environment, caring for God’s creations. We will lead the community by demonstrating exemplary practices in waste management, water and energy usage, and develop our school grounds to promote biodiversity.
St Joseph’s Implementation plan for sustainability education
Our school will implement a hands on approach to education for sustainability through the curriculum at each year level and whole school events. Student learning will focus on taking action within the school and wider community.
Our school will support an active sustainability coordination team that involves student environment representatives, staff, students, parents and other members of our school and local community.
Waste
We will include the whole school community in the process of developing a ‘Waste Wise’ school to minimise landfill and maximise recycling and composting.
Energy
We will include the whole school community in the process of developing an ‘Energy Efficient’ school where we use resources and equipment as efficiently as possible and increase the use of carbon neutral energy sources.
Biodiversity
We will encourage an appreciation of the natural environment through learning experiences and by enhancing the school vegetable garden and supporting local flora and fauna.
Water
We will appreciate water as a natural and precious resource and involve the whole school community in the planning of water conservation and use our resources and equipment as efficiently as possibly.
St Joseph’s Green Purchasing Policy
St Joseph’s is committed to the use and purchase of environmentally and socially responsible materials, products and services whenever they perform satisfactorily, are safe and are value for money over the lifetime of the product.
Authorised purchasing officers are expected to support our commitment to environmental responsibility through the guidelines and procedures contained in this Green Purchasing Policy. It is the responsibility of the purchasing officer to be aware of potential impacts that a products life cycle will have on environmental and human health and to consider the school’s Green Purchasing Policy when purchasing goods, materials or services to ensure that our goals are met.
St Joseph’s School objective is to reduce impacts on the environment and human health through changing purchasing behaviour. By adopting a Green Purchasing Policy, the school aims to:
- Encourage the sustainable use of resources.
- Reduce its impact on the environment (ecological footprint).
- Eliminate unnecessary purchasing.
- Reduce waste to landfill.
- Improve environmental health.
- Improve human health.
- Support sustainable long-term markets for recyclable materials.
At St Joseph’s we will embed a sustainable focus across all areas of the curriculum. There will be an environmental focus incorporated into the inquiry units across all year levels. The staff Sustainability Leader will deliver units of work relating to each of the resource areas;
Energy
- Students will engage in units of work relating to energy
- Students will investigate the best ways to conserve energy
- Students will learn to be ‘Energy Efficient’
- Students will engage in units of work relating to water
- Students will investigate our sources of water and ways to reduce our water consumption
- Students will learn to be ‘Water Wise’
- Students will work with members of the local community to increase our edible garden
- Students will work with teachers and parents to grow and harvest vegetables to be used in cooking classes
- Students will be engaged in the maintenance of our gardens
- Students will engage in learning strongly linked to our Catholic identity as steward of God’s creation caring for our environment
- Students will learn about waste disposal and where their rubbish goes
- Students will engage in learning about recycling and reducing our waste output
- Students will learn to be ‘Waste Wise’
St Josephs Primary School Sustainability Snapshot
This Sustainability Snapshot forms part of our School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP). In our Snapshot, we are documenting workplace, infrastructure and daily operations and community engagement plus identifying opportunities for improvement.
Reviewing our Sustainability Education
At St Joseph’s we are committed to ensuring our sustainability practice and policies are contemporary and up to date. This Sustainability Education Management Plan will be reviewed and updated annually as part of our review of curriculum and policy. This review will involve leadership staff including the Principal, Deputy Principal and Sustainability Leader, any changes will be communicated with the school community.