Sustainability

Abacus is committed to provide a setting that displays appreciation, respect and care for the natural environment around us. As a part of our program the children and educators will explore new ideas, problem solve and investigate in a group setting.
Some of the subjects that we will investigate are:

• Relationships with living and non-living things
• Recycling within our centre and the local community (dedicated recycling stations are located in each room and outdoor area)
• Composting
• Gardening: The children and educators will work together to plant vegetables and herbs in our very own garden. The children will research what types of vegetables and herbs are appropriate to plant dependent on the season as we work together to look after our garden. Produce will be harvested and used in our cooking classes as well as weekly menu
• Developing an awareness of the impact of human activity on environments
• Leadership is being established as the children will take turns to ensure their rooms are environmentally friendly. Educators will embed sustainability within the daily routines and practices e.g. taps are turned off, lights are switched off when not required, appropriate left-over scraps after mealtimes are placed in the worm farm, any water not consumed during mealtimes is used to water our garden etc.
• Exploring the life cycle of a butterfly, chicken, frogs etc.
• Develop an increased understanding of the interdependence between, land, people, plants and animals
• The Abacus site uses their grey water from the washing machine and use to water our garden
• Participation in events such as ‘Plant a Tree Day’, ‘Clean up Australia Day’, ‘World Environment Day’, ‘Earth Hour’ etc.