NEWS DATES EVENTSSCHOOL NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
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October, 2006
Primary students go green to save the environment Year 5 students at Melbourne Grammar’s coeducational primary school Grimwade House are challenging shop retailers along Balaclava Road Caulfield to introduce a weekend free of plastic bags. The students are working directly with local businesses to run this event on the weekend of 14 and 15 October 2006. “This project is important to us because plastic bags are a major cause of pollution and they can also kill marine life,” said Year 5 student Sarah. “Grimwade House girls and boys are undertaking this project and others as part of the Community Problem Solving Program, an international program designed to teach students about the various steps and stages involved in solving environmental and community issues,” said Grimwade House Head Andrew Boyd. “The program specifically encourages students to ‘learn by doing’ in their chosen environment,” he said. “The students are tackling real life community problems – environmental, disadvantaged youth and social isolation – and organising and implementing projects to address an issue. In small groups the students choose a community issue and then independently look at ways of solving the issue by working with community organisations,” said Mr Boyd. Another group of Grimwade House students is working with migrant children from Noble Park English Language School to help minimise language and cultural barriers in their new life in Australia. This group recently took 12 children from countries such as Sudan, Afghanistan and Congo on a Melbourne experience visiting the Rialto Observation Deck and Melbourne Aquarium and plan to further the cultural exchange by welcoming students to Grimwade House campus for a day and to visit their school. “We want to help the students with their English and to help them to settle in to their new life. We want them to have a unique Australian experience. The children might feel really lonely and we want them to be able to socialise and make new friends,” said Year 5 student Will. There are four teams at the School working on various community issues. A different project involves students holding a breakfast drive in support of Ardoch Youth Foundation to create breakfast packs for disadvantaged children. “We are doing this for kids and families that can’t afford to buy food for themselves and their children. We want to help people who are struggling to buy breakfast for their children to give them a good start to their day,” said Year 5 student Charlotte. The final group is looking at the universal problem of communication between parents and children. This group is developing a handbook with ideas for both parents and children about how to communicate better. “The project is important to our team because we also have communication problems at home like having too many commitments and not having the time to talk with parents,” said Year 5 student Claire. Andrew Boyd said, “The Community Problem Solving Program is providing our students with an insight into community issues while encouraging citizenship through real-life community experiences. The Program is beneficial for all involved – the students and the broader community.” Background about the Community Problem Solving Program Students work in teams and follow a problem solving model which breaks the activity into five main stages:
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