McAuley Community School is the only primary school in Australia with a 6 Green Star rating.
From the very beginning of planning and design, McAuley has held a contemporary focus on our local environment and sustainability.
We are passionate about the future of our natural world and as part of a McAuley education, we are committed to teaching how best we can care for our world. With an educator dedicated to sustainability to work with our staff and learners to ensure the school's ecological footprint is light and considered.
The school’s longest-running environmental collaboration is our Dune Care program. Back in the first term of opening in 2020, we accepted an invitation from the City of Holdfast Bay to join them in caring for the vegetation in a section of the dunes along our coastline.
Learners from Years 5 and 6 participate up to four times a year as we plant, weed and water this native vegetation that protects our coastline and is home to local fauna.
Each Pastoral Care group attends Beach School at least once per year. After our morning literacy block, learners walk to the beach, whatever the weather, for afternoon lessons using resources available at the beach. Supervised playtime is spent exploring the rocks, water and sand.
At the end of the Beach School session, any rubbish is collected and documented to support the Adopt-a-Spot scheme. This is a not-for-profit organization that works to prevent marine debris from entering the ocean by regular monitoring and removal of waste.
To start each school year, we have a whole school nature play-based excursion. Working closely with Nature Play SA, the day is full of opportunities to connect with friends and explore through play in nature.
Activities include perfume making using natural resources to the excitement of an adventure playground. Learning in nature is an opportunity to explore and take safe risks.
This year, our excursion was to Glenthorne National Park which is one of the biggest nature play spaces in South Australia. We were joined by Green Adelaide who taught learners how to collect bugs and their role as a food source in the dam.
Learners were also engaged in 'Bird Bingo' which is a popular bird-watching activity run by Nature Play SA.
Being in nature sparks enthusiasm and inventive thinking with a greater appreciation for our natural world.
We work in collaboration with a leading not-for-profit organization, KESAB which stands for Keep South Australia Beautiful.
We also work closely with Green Adelaide on various projects including the Young Environmental Leaders Program (YELP) which is now in its fifth year for our Year 6 Eco Leaders. Initiatives include minimising landfill by ensuring waste goes into the correct bins and supporting the annual Clean Up Schools Day held in March.
