Community connections flourish at Eastwood Primary School and Deaf Facility

A local school community is benefitting from some much-needed financial support to protect and conserve its edible garden with the help from a Yarra Valley Water Community Grant. 

Eastwood Primary School and Deaf Facility in Ringwood East will use the $4,300 Community Grant to buy an efficient watering system for their edible garden.  The primary school’s garden is helping to teach students about sustainability, healthy eating and community connection.

The five-star Resource Smart School, which is also part of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program, has not had the funds needed to install a watering system for the garden. Over the past nine years, this has caused the garden to lose plants and produce, particularly over holiday periods when students and staff are not onsite. 

Eastwood Primary School teachers hope the grant will better maintain the garden, increase produce, and reduce costs. 

The school’s kitchen garden leader, Marina Stahl, said students and staff were excited to get an effective watering system to preserve their edible garden and strengthen community engagement through the kitchen garden program. 

“It’s a big green space and we don’t always have the peoplepower or resources to keep it watered and healthy,” Ms Stahl said. “Which is why Yarra Valley Water’s Community Grant will be instrumental in maintaining and improving our garden.” 

Students in years four, five, and six have the special responsibility to nurture the garden. Other year levels also have the opportunity to work in the garden, so all students can learn about sustainable living and gain a sense of independence through hands-on gardening tasks.

“We grow everything from edible flowers, herbs, vegetables to an entire fruit orchard,” Ms Stahl said. “We also have our bushtucker section, dedicated entirely to indigenous plants and ingredients. 

“The students learn how to plant seeds, care for the garden, harvest produce and then prepare it in a kitchen with the help of family volunteers. At the end of the session, we all sit down together and share what we made.” 

The school also provides produce to the local soup kitchen, Oasis at the Ringwood Church of Christ, as well as helping to cook and serve at the kitchen once a month. 

Yarra Valley Water’s General Manager of Strategy and Community, Tiffany White, said it was wonderful to see students engaged in environmental learning and excited about the revitalisation of their edible garden.

“It’s clear that Eastwood Primary School and Deaf Facility puts a lot of love and energy into their edible garden and playing a role in their local community. We’re proud to help the school to use water wisely and support their dedicated work to maintain a sustainable garden with native plants and ingredients,” Ms White said. “This grant not only helps the school conserve water but also helps them to give back to the community with beautiful garden produce.” 

Ms White commended the school’s commitment to making a positive difference through its garden and said, “Yarra Valley Water is delighted to support these young gardeners on their journey towards greater water efficiency. The new watering system will help them to continue providing fresh produce to the local soup kitchen and foster the wonderful community connections they’ve established.”

The staff at Eastwood Primary School and Deaf Facility plan to begin work on the new watering system in March this year.