Way gets cleared for award

By Russell Bennett
SHERBROOKE Community School has been recognised as a fierce competitor in the fight to save the environment.
The school recently won both the State Government-awarded Biodiversity Smart School of the Year and Yarra Ranges Council Habitat Action Award honours.
It received $1400 in prize money and another $700 worth of plants.
Sherbrooke teacher Denise Dempsey said the school made a conscious choice to become environmentally sustainable in 2008.
“And last year our students weeded and planted 400 plants on a patch of land up the back of the school,” she said.
“It was started by one of our year 12 students, Robert Pergl.
“He’s definitely going to be a botanist, I think.
“He’s just brilliant.”
Robert instigated the planting process and was rewarded with the land named in his honour as the Robert Pergl Reserve.
Ms Dempsey said students at the school were so keen to get their green thumbs dirty, some of them even gave up their lunchtimes for the cause.
“During any particular lunchtime, someone might say they want to go and do some weeding,” she said.
“Then a number of kids will get it all done in that break.”
Students at the school also rear animals in addition to their garden work.
Sherbrooke Community School currently has a number of chickens and sheep, and is looking into getting a llama.
The school is also currently in the process of setting up a Chinese market garden and is seeking advice from students at one of its two Chinese sister schools.
Tribal artefacts from the Hawker Aboriginal School in South Australia will give the garden a uniquely Australian twist.
The Sherbrooke school runs agriculture classes, and horticulture classes where students can learn how to propagate indigenous plants.
It also plans to introduce business planning into its curriculum next year, according to Ms Dempsey.
“We have 30 solar panels here which produce 5.2 kilowatts of electricity,” she said.
“We also have six rainwater tanks.
“We’ll never be fully sustainable, thanks to our use of computers and technology, but we’re certainly trying.”