Mater Early Learning promotes sustainability through education

09/Mar/2021     Mater Group

Since being named a “Waste Smart Kindy” by the Brisbane City Council in November 2020 Mater Early Learning has continued its commitment to promoting sustainability within the centre by intertwining sustainable messaging to the learning curriculum.

Educational Leader and Program Mentor, Kate Crokidas said each room at Mater Early Learning was incorporating sustainability into their everyday activities through art, reading and play.

“Our Educators are being so creative coming up with different sustainability activities to promote this messaging all while being fun, interactive and educational plus appropriate for the age groups they are teaching,” Kate said.

Educator Disha Hosnejahan said the children in the Bumblebee Room had recently combined their learning objective of sustainable practices with Chinese New Year celebrations.

“The children developed an awareness recycling and reusing materials to create lanterns from recycled tin cans. Their fine motor skills, cognitive, eye hand coordination skills were all supported through this activity,” Disha said.

“We also used recycled cardboard and old CD’s to make photo frames and recycled plastic to make sensory bottles. These projects allow children to learn how to reuse materials and conserve resources all while caring for their environment.

“While creating art encourages them to build up on their imaginative skills, creativity and language skills they have also expanded their fine motor skills while utilising a variety of tools and strengthen their eye hand coordination skills.”

In the Monkey Room Educator Angela Tharenou said the children have been using recycled materials to make artwork including rockets and hot air balloons.

“They have also learnt about things they can do here and at home to be more sustainable including turning off light switches to save electricity and practicing turning the taps off completely in the bathroom to save water,” Angela said.

“We have had discussions daily to revise how to be sustainable and have included reading books on this topic during including one of our favourite books Where does the garbage go.”

In the Turtle Room Educator Mie Nosho has made recycled paper bag trees and bird feeders out of recycled milk bottles.

“We have also been doing some gardening as parents have been bringing in the seed packets from the Discovery Gardens for us to plant. The children have loved planting the seeds and watching them grow,” Mei said.

Children from the Cows Room have been both sustainable and business savvy explains Educator Gemma Pavic.

“We have been making and selling banana water, so we can buy a worm farm. The banana water can be used as a fertiliser on indoor and outdoor plants and is rich in calcium, phosphorus and potassium,” Gemma said.

“It takes a few days to make as it has to be left to ferment and we are selling it in our room for $1 a bottle. The children are fantastic sales people, they are really pushing for their parents to purchase it for their gardens at home.”

Finally, in the Giraffe Room Educator Paige Duce said thanks to a donation of old shopping bags from a parent the children have made recycled jellyfish bags.

“We enjoy incorporating reusing materials into our art projects, late last year the children made Christmas presents for their parents using pot plants from recycled milk bottles, we also used old nappy boxes to make a chimney.”

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