school environmental management plan (semp) builder guide · queensland sustainable schools –...

School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) Builder Guide For the Queensland Sustainable Schools website

A joint project between the Queensland Department of Education and Training and the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, through the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative.

The purpose of this guide is to provide support for teaching, learning and planning of environmental education for sustainability using the School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) Builder. This website was developed as a partnership between the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, through the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative and the Queensland Department of Education and Training through the Queensland Environmentally Sustainable Schools Initiative. This website is based on the New South Wales Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water’s Sustainable Schools website, www.sustainableschools.nsw.edu.au.

http://www.sustainableschools.nsw.edu.au/

Queensland Sustainable Schools – Website Guide – SEMP Builder

www.sustainableschools.qld.edu.au i

Table of contents

REGISTRATION AND LOGIN_____________________________________________1

Getting Started – How to register _______________________________________________ 1

How to Login________________________________________________________________ 2

Forgotten your Login password? _______________________________________________ 5

How to change your password and update your account details _____________________ 6

THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (SEMP) BUILDER ______9

Entering your SEMP online ____________________________________________________ 9

Updating the SEMP Status ___________________________________________________ 12

Creating a new SEMP________________________________________________________ 13

Moving between the SEMP Steps and saving changes in the SEMP _________________ 13

Copying and pasting text into the SEMP text boxes ______________________________ 14

USING THE SEMP BUILDER ____________________________________________15

Step 1 – Planning period _____________________________________________________ 15

Step 2 – Principal’s Statement ________________________________________________ 17

How to Upload Photos and Digital Images ______________________________________ 18

Step 3 – About Your School __________________________________________________ 19

Step 4 – About Your Local Area _______________________________________________ 21

Step 5 – School Management _________________________________________________ 23

Step 6 – School Team _______________________________________________________ 25

Step 7 – Goals for the five focus areas _________________________________________ 28

Step 8 – Issues and Topics ___________________________________________________ 30

How to Add Issue/Topic information to the SEMP ________________________________ 30

How to Edit Issue/Topic information in SEMP Step 8______________________________ 32

Step 9 – Strategies and Actions _______________________________________________ 34

How to Edit Strategy and Action Information in SEMP Step 9_______________________ 37

Step 10 – Celebrate Progress _________________________________________________ 39

Step 11 – Community and Environment Network _________________________________ 41


www.sustainableschools.qld.edu.au ii

Step 12 – Evaluating School Achievements _____________________________________ 44

SEMP Complete ____________________________________________________________ 47

How to logout ______________________________________________________________ 48

Accessing your SEMP again__________________________________________________ 48

Editing and deleting SEMPS __________________________________________________ 49

APPENDICES ________________________________________________________50

Appendix 1: QESSI Regional Hub contact details _______________________________ 50

Appendix 2: Step 8 drop-down menu list for issue/topic categories ________________ 51

Appendix 3: Step 9 drop-down menu strategies and actions lists__________________ 52


www.sustainableschools.qld.edu.au 1

Registration and Login

Getting Started – How to register

If it is your first visit to the Queensland Sustainable Schools (QSS) website, you will need to register before you can use the School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) Builder. When a person is registered they are attached to a particular school. If they leave that school and go to another they do not register again at the new school, but rather they have their registered status transferred to the new school. Registration for State School users: (in order of approach)

1. Registration of school based staff – contact your School QSS website manager who can register new users and remove a user from the school list. [Note: the registration is not cancelled but the person no longer has access to the school SEMP.]

2. If a teacher has already been registered and has changed schools, contact your local Queensland Environmentally Sustainable Schools Initiative (QESSI) hub coordinator or Earth Smart Science facilitator [Contact details for each of the QESSI regional hubs are listed in Appendix 1.] who will be able to transfer them to the new school location; or, if there are any major difficulties,

3. Contact the Earth Smart Science State Coordinator, Di Aylward (phone 07 3237 0325; email [email protected]), or the Principal of the Brisbane Urban Environmental Education Centre, Keith Enchelmaier (phone 07 3552 7111; email [email protected]).

The person completing your registration will notify you when this has been completed and will give you a generic password which should be changed the first time you log on to the website.

NOTE: All access to the Queensland Sustainable Schools website through a State School must be authorized by the School Principal. The Principal must also authorize in writing any one other than the Principal who will have school manager status.

mailto:[email protected]



How to Login

Once you have been registered, you will be able to access the SEMP Builder on subsequent visits by simply logging on via the ‘Login’ link at the top right hand side of the QSS home page.

After clicking the ‘Login’ link, a new screen will appear asking for your User Name (your full email address, eg. [email protected]) and Password (which will have been given to you on registration).



Your User Name and Password are case sensitive. ie. Use of capitals or lowercase letters must be the same each time.



Enter your User Name and Password, then click on the ‘Login’ button below the Password box. A new window will appear providing access to the My Account, My School’s Plan, and My School’s Resource Use link buttons, and your name will appear at the top right hand corner of the web page.



Forgotten your Login password?

If you have forgotten your password, enter your User Name into the login screen and click on the ‘Forgot password?’ link.

A new ‘Retrieve Password’ screen will appear. Enter your User Name and click on ‘Send Password’. Your password will then be sent to the email address you provided during registration.



How to change your password and update your account details

If you want to change your password or account details, login to the QSS website, then click on the ‘My Account - Update My Details’ button.

A new screen titled ‘Registration’ will appear with your current account details.



Greener Pastures State School

To change your Password, click on the ‘Change Password’ button below the Email Address box. A new screen will appear, prompting you to enter your Current Password, New Password and a confirmation of your new password (Confirm Password).

Greener Pastures State School Your Password must be at least seven (7) characters long and can be a combination of letters and numbers

Click the ‘Save Changes’ button to save changes made to your account details.



The ‘Registration’ screen also allows you to change the details of the role you play within the school by making a selection from the Your Role drop-down menu.

Choose your role Make a selection from the ‘Your Role’ drop-down menu.

Greener Pastures State School

When you have finished making changes to your details, click on the ‘Save Changes’ button.



The School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) Builder

The School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) Builder is a tool to assist your school in integrating environmental education across the five focus areas of:

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Management of Resources (Energy, Waste and Water) Management of School Grounds including Biodiversity Integrated Whole School Planning School and Community Partnership

The key consideration across all focus areas is quality teaching and learning; in other words, how can this environmental or sustainability issue be addressed in a way which provides valuable learning for students and meets curriculum objectives?

Remember – when someone registers, a request is sent to Queensland Sustainable Schools to grant access to parts of the School Environmental Management Plan online tool.

Entering your SEMP online

Once you have logged in, you will be able to use the SEMP Builder tool. The SEMP Builder is located in the Planning chapter of the website and can be accessed directly from the QSS website home page, by clicking on the ‘My School’s Plan – School Environmental Management Plan’ button.

Click on ‘My School’s Plan’ to access the SEMP building tool or your existing plans.



A new screen titled ‘My School Environmental Management Plan’ will appear, with all SEMPs created for your school listed under ‘My SEMP List’. SEMP Status

To edit a SEMP, click on the pen icon.

To start a brand new SEMP, click on ‘Create a new SEMP’.

To downgrade or update the status of your SEMP, click on the orange or green arrow icons.

To review a SEMP in a print preview format, click on the magnifying glass icon.

To delete a SEMP, click on the red cross icon.

To export a finalised SEMP as a PDF document, click on the download icon.



The SEMP Builder tool constructs the school’s plan through a series of twelve steps that ask the school to reflect on their environmental vision, their goals and the issues they wish to address. These steps are displayed on the left-hand side of the Planning chapter web page and accessed by clicking on ‘SEMP Builder Steps’.

Note: Steps 1-7 of the SEMP builder provide information about the school community and local area, while Steps 8-12 identify and explain environmental issues or topics that are important to your school and which will be targeted by action plans within the SEMP.



Updating the SEMP status

At what stage is your plan? These four options describe where the school is up to (i.e. its status) in developing the SEMP:

Planning – developing the school’s environmental vision, consulting with the school community and identifying the issues you wish to address.

Implementing – beginning some new actions described in your plan through new student learning programs, activities in the school, new policies or new partnerships.

Reviewing – evidence of success, students have demonstrated new skills, knowledge or values. Can you describe or measure these?

Achieved and completed – the existing plan is mostly implemented and the school community wishes to build on their success through a new plan. If you have reached this point – congratulations! You can now close the current plan using this option and start a new one.

The status of your SEMP is shown here.

To downgrade the status of your SEMP, click on the orange arrow.

To update the status of your SEMP, click on the green arrow.

When you create a new SEMP, the default status is ‘None’. This can be updated to the stage your school is at in its plan by going to My SEMP List on the ‘My School Environmental Management Plan’ webpage and clicking on the green ‘Update Status’ arrow. If you need to downgrade the status of your SEMP, click on the orange ‘Downgrade Status’ arrow.



Creating a new SEMP

Now that you have registered and are logged in, you can start building your SEMP online. Construction of an example SEMP is outlined below. For more information and resources about a question, click on the help icons located at the end of each question.

Moving between the SEMP Steps and saving changes in the SEMP

To move between SEMP Steps, you can click on the ‘Next Step’ or ‘Previous Step’ buttons at the bottom of each section of questions, or you can select a particular SEMP Step from the SEMP builder menu on the left hand side of the ‘My School Environmental Management Plan’ page.

Your changes are saved as you progress through the SEMP steps when you click on the 'Next Step' or 'Previous Step' buttons. You can also save any changes you have made to the SEMP while editing by using the ‘Save’ button.

Important: Always click on the ‘Save’ button if you move to another step without clicking on the ‘Next Step’ or ‘Previous Step’ buttons, otherwise your changes will not be saved.

Click the ‘Next Step’ button to save your data and move onto the next section of questions.

Click the ‘Save’ button if you want to save changes without moving between steps or if you are not moving between sequential steps (for example, if you decide to move from Step 3 to Step 8 while editing the SEMP).

Different steps of the SEMP can be selected directly from the ‘SEMP Builder Steps’ list by clicking on the step of interest.

Click the ‘Previous Step’ button to save your data and return to the previous section of questions.



Copying and pasting text into the SEMP text boxes

To copy text for insertion into SEMP text boxes, highlight the text to be copied and use either the Ctrl-C command or click on the right-hand mouse button and select copy.

Text can be pasted into the text boxes using the Ctrl-V command or by clicking the right-hand mouse button and selecting paste.

Note: The SEMP document format is automatically set and all text effects will be deleted.



Using the SEMP Builder

Step 1 – Planning period

1. Planning period Step 1 in the planning process records the SEMP type, time period which your SEMP spans, SEMP description and the authors of the SEMP.

Enter or paste* the names of the SEMP authors into the text box.

Enter or paste* a description of your SEMP into the text box.

Click on the drop-down menus for month and year to select the plan start and end dates.

Click on ‘Select SEMP type’ to choose from a drop-down menu the plan type you are working on.

Click the ‘Next Step’ button to move onto the next section of questions. This also automatically saves changes you have made to the SEMP.

Click the ‘Save’ button to save changes made to the SEMP.

*Text can be pasted into the text boxes using the Ctrl-V command or by clicking the right-hand mouse button and selecting paste.



1.1 SEMP type Your school may have a number of SEMPs at any one time and these will be listed on the ‘My SEMP List’. Each plan is given a name which describes its purpose. Its type can be selected from the ‘Select SEMP Type’ drop-down menu in Step 1 of the SEMP builder.

Three ‘SEMP Type’ selections can be made by clicking on the drop-down menu.

When entering the SEMP type, three selections can be made: Trial Working document Final Official SEMP

Trial SEMPs are created to practice with during training sessions or for student investigations. Official working documents are for capturing ideas in draft form. The final official SEMP is the version which is submitted to the Department of Education and Training for any given year or planning period.

There is no difference between these three plans in structure or function. However, it is only the Final SEMP that contributes data for program reporting and analysis.

1.2 Plan start/Plan End This is where you decide on the plan’s timeframe. It is important to keep actions in the plan achievable and setting a realistic timeframe helps.

If this is the first time your school has had a plan, or the school is just starting to implement environmental actions, then a three year timeframe, with annual reviews, is useful. Shorter term goals and actions can be set, reviewed and celebrated. If your school has been undertaking actions and planning for some time, plans can be linked to the school’s main strategic planning cycle of 3-5 years and longer term initiatives can be developed. 1.3 SEMP description The text in this box appears listed as the name of your SEMP under ‘My SEMP List’, but it is not included in your printed or downloaded SEMP. Use this section to describe any details about this SEMP, for example: Trial SEMP of Year 4, April PD Trial SEMP, Teacher SEMP, etc. 1.4 Plans written by/Authors While one person may take responsibility for writing this online, there may be many people in the school community who contribute ideas and activities. It is important to acknowledge everyone involved.

Note: The SEMP document format is automatically set and all text effects will be deleted.



Step 2 – Principal’s statement

2. Principal’s statement Step 2 in the planning process is adding a statement from the school’s principal and a photograph (digital image) of the principal for the front page of the report.

See below for instructions on how to upload photos for inclusion in your SEMP.

Click here to enter or paste text for the principal’s opening statement.

2.1 Introduction or opening statement The principal’s statement appears on page two of the SEMP (which is the front page of the report) and it is an opportunity for the principal to review the work done so far on the SEMP and provide comments about the plan, activities or how it fits into the context of the school. 2.2 Photograph Here you can include a photograph of your school’s principal for the front page of the SEMP report. Important: Digital images to be uploaded should be in jpg, gif or png format and no larger than 4 Mb in size.



How to upload photos and digital images

Before you begin the upload process, check that the image to be uploaded is in jpg, gif or png format and no larger than 4 Mb in size (use a photo editing program if necessary to reduce file size or type).

1. Click on the ‘Browse’ button. You will need to search your files to find the photo or digital image that you would like to upload.

2. Once you have found your file, click on ‘Open’.

3. The file will appear in this box. Once the file is here, it is ready to be uploaded.

4. To upload the

file, click the ‘Upload’ button.

5. A file has been

uploaded when it appears here.

6. To remove the

file, click the ‘Remove’ button.

Principal.jpg



Step 3 – About your school

3. School overview Step 3 in the planning process is to provide information about your school, its vision or mission statement and its goals for the environment.

GPSS logo.jpg

GPSS facade.jpg

Upload digital images of the school and the school logo here.

Click here to enter or paste information about your school’s profile and background.

Click here to enter or paste your school’s current vision or mission statement (can be taken directly from current school planning documents).

Click here to enter or paste your school’s environmental vision statement.



3.1 Vision or mission Many schools have a vision or mission statement within their existing planning/communication documents, such as the prospectus, website or annual report. Ideally, this SEMP and the actions in it will be compatible with the school’s main vision. The statement will appear in the SEMP Report - Background Section. Existing statements can simply be added to the text box using copy and paste.

A vision statement is a declaration of a shared sense of purpose for the whole school community. It expresses your ideas about what your school will be like in two years time, in ten years time or any time in the future.

A shared vision is an important element within your whole-school approach to environmental education. It will have implications for how your school is organised and the roles that are played by teachers, administrators, parents and students.

There is no formula for what a vision statement should look like, how long it should be or what it should include. It can be a short statement or a more comprehensive explanation of a preferred future. For more information on how to develop a mission statement, visit the QSS website planning chapter, ‘Develop a Vision Statement’ web page. 3.2 Environmental vision As well as a school vision or mission statement, it is useful to have a shared environmental vision as it will help prioritise and focus your school's activities. The many individuals that make up your school will have a personal environmental vision for themselves, their own local environment and possibly for their school and the global environment. Bringing these together forms the basis for a collective vision, some as simple as ‘Our school will promote environmental responsibility and action in students’. 3.3 School profile and background Describe your school’s history and current priorities.

Each school is unique. In this section you could provide an overview of the school’s history, identify what is important to the school community and detail some of the more general issues that the school is dealing with. This will provide background for environmental education activities. 3.4 School logo and 3.5 School photo Here you can include your school's logo and a photo that represents your school for the front page of the SEMP. This is a planning document for your school. The school logo helps to identify it as such. Choose a photo that represents the school, it could be of the front of the school, a special building in the school, some students or a location that links strongly to the school. Refer to the ‘How to Upload Photos and Digital Images’ section of the manual (page 18) if you require assistance in uploading images.



Step 4 – About your local area

4. About your environment Step 4 in the planning process is to provide information about the school’s local environment and community.

Upload digital images of your local area here.

Click here to enter or paste information about your local community.

Click here to enter or paste information about your local area’s environment.

GPSS aerial view.jpg

4.1 Describe your environment Your school is part of the local and regional environment. The broader school community may focus on particular issues such as salinity, local biodiversity, development issues, and water. Build a picture of the local area to help contextualise the school's and community's vision and environmental goals. 4.2 Describe the local community Understanding who is in the local community can assist the school to plan activities that are locally relevant and supported. The school, the students, their parents, local residents, government, business and industry are all parts of the local school community. They can provide ideas and resources, and the school can often assist the community to implement important local activities.



4.3 Local area photograph Does your local area have an iconic image or is there a local landmark important to the school? Can the local council supply an aerial photograph? Or can you find an image of your school on Google Earth? State schools can access an aerial photo of their school via oneportal. The format of these photos is a PDF, so it will need to be converted to a jpg, gif or png format before it can be uploaded to the website. You may wish to include in your SEMP an image that captures the essence of your local area or visually describes the environmental issues your school is addressing through the SEMP. Refer to the ‘How to Upload Photos and Digital Images’ section of the manual (page 18) if you require assistance in uploading images.

. Remember: Digital images should be in jpg, gif or png format and no larger than 4 Mb in size.



Step 5 – School management

5. Management and planning priorities Step 5 in the planning process is to link the SEMP to school curriculum and management priorities.

Click here to enter or paste information about the priorities in your school plan.

Different options for integrating the SEMP into whole school planning can be selected or deselected from the list by clicking on the box to the left-hand side of each option.

5.1 What are the priorities in your school plan? Schools have specific management and curriculum priorities they seek to address, often described in the school plan. Linking your SEMP to the strategies or actions in these plans helps to support both school curriculum and environmental objectives.

Some examples include: increasing literacy levels in students increasing student engagement through student-centred projects extending the educational potential of the school through the development of outdoor

learnscapes to offer students alternative learning environments introducing student wellbeing and literacy exercises that ask students to write about

'...the school I'd like...'



5.2 How is the plan integrated within whole-school planning? An effective SEMP is integrated into other strategic, planning and operational aspects of the school.

Some examples of other strategies include: links to whole-school operational planning links to regional education links to local government planning integration with school administration and management procedures development in consultation with parents, citizens and community



Step 6 – School team

6. Environmental education team and recent achievements Step 6 in the planning process is to provide information about the school’s environmental leaders, and also to describe and record some of the achievements the school has already made in response to environmental issues.

Upload digital images of your school’s achievement here.

Click here to enter your school’s main environmental education achievements.

GPSS Green Team.jpg

Click here to enter the size of your school environmental team.

Upload digital images of your school environmental team.

Click on the box to the left-hand side of each option to select/deselect people involved in your school’s environmental team.

Click here to enter your school environmental team’s focus, structure and meeting information.

Click here to enter the name of your school environmental team.

GPSS kitchen garden.jpg



6.1 What is the name of the environmental team? Many schools give the school teams a name, so why not the school’s team of environmental leaders? It could be 'Green Team', 'The Enviro Club' or 'School Enviro Leaders'?

Note: if there is no name entered into the text box, this section will not be visible in the final SEMP. 6.2 What is the size of the team? Your school's environment team may start small and grow. Some teams grow to a larger size for specific projects. Sometimes team sizes contract due to other demands within the school. It is useful to document this as it helps to plan activities. 6.3 Who are the people involved? Does your environment team represent the full breadth of the school community? If there are other participants not listed here, select the ‘other’ option from the drop down menu and type this information into the box below.

For specific projects schools often expand the school's environment team. For example, the local council may be involved for grounds improvement projects. 6.4 Team photo Your SEMP can help your school recognise and celebrate the environment team's efforts. Include a photo of the team at work on the SEMP or celebrating one of its achievements. Remember the photo should be in jpeg, gif or png format and no larger than 4 MB in size. Refer to the ‘How to Upload Photos and Digital Images’ section of the manual (page 18) if you require assistance in uploading images. 6.5 Describe the team’s focus, structure and meeting information School environment teams will operate in different ways and involve different people from the schools and community:

How often does your environment team meet? How does it identify the important issues to discuss? Do other people attend meetings? What processes does the team use to plan, investigate, seek approval for, or support

and implement the actions of the SEMP?

Your school environment team may wish to engage the wider student population through consultations such as a Youth Forum. 6.6 Describe the school’s main environmental education achievements For many schools, environmental education activities large and small have been ongoing for a number of years. These might include:

the teaching of environmental education implementation of programs such as paper recycling and grounds improvements undertaking audits supporting student led environmental initiatives.

Reflection and recording of achievements assists in planning the school’s next steps. Communicating and celebrating achievements over the course of the SEMP, will also inform the community about your school’s progress, allowing the school to reflect, feel positive and remain motivated about its activities.

http://www.sustainableschools.nsw.edu.au/Default.aspx?tabid=37&Search=youth+forum



6.7 Photo of achievement Each time you reach a milestone of your SEMP or celebrate an environmental event, take photos to record this achievement.

These photos will help tell your story through this document and to the school and wider community.

Important: Photos on the QSS website need to comply with parental approval requirements and school policy.



Step 7 – Goals for the five focus areas

7. Focus area goals Step 7 in the planning process describes the school’s goals towards improving biodiversity, waste minimisation, water conservation and energy use across the five focus areas of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning; Management of Resources Energy, Waste and Water; Management of School Grounds including Biodiversity, Integrated Whole School Planning; and School and Community Partnerships.

Click here to enter your school’s goals for School and Community Partnership.

Click here to enter your school’s goals for Integrated Whole School Planning.

Click here to enter your school’s goals for Management of Resources Energy, Waste and Water.

Click here to enter your school’s goals for Management of School Grounds including Biodiversity.

Click here to enter your school’s goals for Curriculum, Teaching and Learning.



7.1 Goals for curriculum The SEMP is a planning tool to further support curriculum goals for the school and integrate sustainability concepts into school programs, lessons and student activities.

Consider how environmental education might fit into existing curriculum goals or write new goals that support environmental learning. 7.2 Goals for resource management Describing the resource management goals enables a school to set realistic targets to reduce resource use through environmental management and learning activities. 7.3 Goals for ground management School grounds are sites for learning, biodiversity, playing and many other activities. It is often a challenge to identify a goal with so many diverse uses. However a defined, achievable and measurable school grounds goal can provide clear direction for grounds planning and improvements. 7.4 Goals for whole school planning The SEMP is a plan that can support the overall strategic planning processes of the school. By cross referencing whole school goals in the SEMP, the school will develop a strong rationale for projects and activities and in turn this may help prioritise the actions described in the SEMP or the school plan. 7.5 Goals for school community participation The SEMP will help focus and extend the relationship and shared projects a school has with its community. These should be contextualised within the environmental and educational aims of the school.

Having a shared or common understanding of environmental goals will help the school and the wider community in their individual and shared efforts. Some work may need to be undertaken between the school and the community in order to fully explore, understand and articulate these goals. Some possible actions include 'Clean-up Australia Day' and 'Tidy Towns'.



Step 8 – Issues and topics

The information entered into Steps 8 to 12 of the SEMP, starts to build the school’s action plans. Step 8 allows ALL of the environmental issues and concerns of the school and local community to be listed within the SEMP, including issues that the school community specifically wishes to address. There are many issues in schools that could be addressed in the SEMP and it has been designed so that the school community can work on any of these that are relevant to them. However, it is important to define a specific issue with achievable outcomes, that can be addressed by the school. For example, defining an issue as ‘climate change’, ‘water’, ‘values’ or ‘curriculum’ may state the area that the school wants to work in, but does not give enough direction about how this issue relates to the school community. Similarly, defining an issue as ‘the school needs water tanks’ and ‘we need to turn out the lights’ provides an answer to a problem but does not articulate what the problem actually is. In deciding what issues to address in this SEMP, it is worthwhile to spend some time reflecting on what the issues are in the school and why they are an issue.

How to add issue/topic information to the SEMP

Note: If you are entering information into a new SEMP, the default setting under ‘Issues’ will state, ‘No issues have been defined’.

To add an issue or topic, click on the ‘Add Issue/Topic’ button.

1. Click on the ‘Add Issue/Topic’ button to add an issue or topic.

2. A new screen titled ‘Individual Issues and Topics’ will appear, into which you can enter data for the issue or topic relevant to your school. The type of information to be entered for each text box is described below.

The issue can be sorted into a particular sustainability category by clicking on the options in the drop-down menu, see Appendix 2.

The level of concern given to a school or community issue can be selected by clicking on ‘high’, ‘medium’ or ‘low’ on the drop-down menu.

Upload digital images related to school and community environmental issues and topics here.



Explanation of information to be added into Step 8 individual issues and topics section: Issue/topic: Enter the name of the issue affecting the school community. Description: Enter a description of the issue affecting the school community. Concern: Select the school’s level of concern regarding an issue from the drop-down

menu. Outcome: Enter information about what your school hopes to implement to address an issue. Indicators: Enter information about how the school can assess whether an issue is

being successfully addressed. Timeframe: Enter a timeframe for the issue to be addressed. Category: Select a category that the issue relates to from the drop-down menu.

i.e. ‘Litter in the school grounds’ could be categorised under ‘Grounds Management’; ‘Learning more about local species’ could be categorised under ‘Biodiversity.’

Picture: Upload a digital image, illustrating how the issue is being addressed or successful implementation of an environmental solution.

When you have entered all of the data into the text boxes, click on ‘Update’ to add your school’s issue or topic to the SEMP.

3. The default action setting for new SEMPs, ‘No issues have been defined’ has now been

replaced with the information entered into the ‘Individual Issues and Topics’ window.



How to edit issue/topic information in SEMP Step 8

1. To edit Issue/Topic information, click on the pen icon at the right-hand side of the page next to the issue or topic you wish to edit.

Click on the pen icon to edit the issue/topic.

2. The ‘Individual Issues and Topics’ screen will appear with all of the information you have previously entered into the text boxes.

To remove an entry from the SEMP, click ‘Delete’.

To return to the main Section page without saving any updates, click ‘Cancel’.

Click ‘Update’ to save changes to the SEMP.



3. You can add additional data or change information related to your topic by typing into

the text boxes or change your ‘Concern’ and ‘Category’ selections by clicking on the drop-down menus.

4. Whether entering new information or updating current information, click ‘Update’ to

save the information in your SEMP.

5. To return to the main Section page without saving any updates, click ‘Cancel’.

6. To remove an entry from the SEMP, click ‘Delete’.

7. A message box will appear, asking ‘Are You Sure You Wish To Delete This Item?’

Click on ‘OK’ if you want to delete this issue from the SEMP

Click on ‘Cancel’ if you do not want to delete this issue from the SEMP



Step 9 – Strategies and actions

9. Actions Step 9 in the planning process is to begin developing an action plan to address issues within the school across the five focus areas of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning; Management of Resources Energy, Waste and Water; Management of School Grounds including Biodiversity; Integrated Whole School Planning; and School and Community Partnerships.

A ‘Strategy’ within the context of the SEMP, describes a broad approach to an issue. Some strategies are preset in the SEMP Builder. However, you may also add your own. Note that the strategies entered will not appear in the final report.

An ‘Action’ within the context of the SEMP, describes the specific activity that will be undertaken within your school. You are able to add whatever you need to here.

A strategic approach to resolving the issue may require action in more than one focus area, such as Curriculum, Teaching and Learning; Whole School Planning and perhaps Management of School Grounds including Biodiversity. The school is therefore asked to consider strategies and actions for each issue across the five focus areas. Selecting an issue

Click the ‘Add Action’ button to enter strategies in each focus area for the issue or topic you have selected.

Adding an action

Click on the ‘Select an issue’ drop-down menu to select an issue/topic that you entered in Step 8.



Adding a strategy 1. After clicking on the ‘Add Action’ button, a new screen titled ‘Strategy and action

description’ will appear. A strategy can be selected from the drop down menu and specific details of that strategy entered for the issue or topic relevant to your school. The type of information to be entered for each text box is described below.

Explanation of information to be added into Step 9 individual strategies and actions section Strategy: Select from the drop-down menu. Action: Enter a description of the specific activity that will be undertaken within your school to address the issue. Timeframe: Enter a timeframe for the action to be implemented/completed. Resources: Enter materials, equipment, etc. required for the action. Monitoring: Enter information about how the success of the action is to be monitored. Responsibility: Enter the name of the people, group, club etc. responsible for

implementing and monitoring the action. Each of the five focus areas has different strategies listed in their drop-down menus; these are listed in Appendix 3.



Click on the ‘Strategy’ drop-down menu to choose a strategy, or add your own by selecting ‘Other’ (see Appendix 3). If you select ‘Other’, another text box will appear below the drop-down menu for information to be entered into.


2. When you have entered all of the data into the text boxes, click on ‘Update’ to add your school’s issue/topic to the SEMP.

3. A new window will appear, showing that the strategy and action information has been

added to the SEMP.

At this stage of the SEMP planning process, ‘Achievement’ will have the default setting of (none). This is addressed in Step 12 of the SEMP builder.

The default action setting for new SEMPs, ‘No actions have been defined’ has now been replaced with the information entered into the strategy and action description – Resource Management window.



How to edit strategy and action information in SEMP Step 9

1. To edit strategy and action information, click on the pen icon at the right-hand side of the page next to the action you wish to edit.

Click on the pen icon to edit the action.

2. The strategy and action description screen for the focus area you have chosen will appear with all of the information you have previously entered into the text boxes.

3. You can change your ‘Strategy’ selection by clicking on the drop-down menu or you can add additional information related to the action by typing into the text boxes.



4. Whether entering new information or updating current information, click ‘Update’ to save the information in your SEMP.

5. To return to the main Section page without saving any updates, click ‘Cancel’.

6. To remove an entry from the SEMP, click ‘Delete’.

7. A message box will appear, asking ‘Are You Sure You Wish To Delete This Item?’

Click on ‘OK’ if you want to delete this issue from the SEMP.

Click on ‘Cancel’ if you do not want to delete this issue from the SEMP.



Step 10 – Celebrate progress

10. Plan promotion strategy Step 10 in the planning process is to address how you will communicate your school’s achievements.

A plan only works when the school community is aware of it, so how will you promote the SEMP? The preset menu in this step of the SEMP builder can be used for ideas. Adding a promotion strategy To add a promotion strategy to the SEMP, click on the ‘Add Promotion Strategy’ button. A new screen titled ‘Promotion strategy’ will appear, where a strategy can be selected from the drop-down menu.

Click on the ‘Add Promotion Strategy’ button to add a promotion strategy.

Selecting a promotion strategy To select a promotion strategy, choose an option from the ‘Promotion strategy’ screen drop-down menu. If you want to add your own, select ‘Other’ and enter the details into the text box below the drop-down menu.

Click on the drop-down menu to select a promotion strategy or click on ‘Other’ if you wish to add your own.

Once you have selected your promotion strategy, click on ‘Update’ to save the details to the SEMP.



A new window will appear, showing that the strategy and action information has been added to the SEMP.


To remove an entry from the SEMP, click ‘Delete’.

Edit promotion strategy To edit promotion strategy information, click on the pen icon at the right-hand side of the page, next to the promotion strategy you wish to edit.

After clicking on the pen icon, the ‘Promotion strategy’ screen will appear with the promotion strategy you have previously selected. Make your changes and click ‘Update’ to save the details to the SEMP.

If you choose to delete an entry, a message box will appear, asking ‘Are You Sure You Wish To Delete This Item?’. Select ‘OK’ if you wish to delete the promotion strategy from the SEMP. Select ‘Cancel’ if you do not.

Click on the pen icon to edit the promotion strategy.


The default promotion strategy setting for new SEMPs, ‘No issues have been defined’ has now beenreplaced with the promotion strategyselected from the drop-down menu.



Step 11 – Community and environment network

Assisting organisations and contacts Step 11 in the planning process allows you to record the names and type of support for environmental activities that the school receives from others in the community. Schools receive assistance from groups on a regular basis or on an ad hoc basis. This table enables the school to keep track of the people and organisations that help. This part of the SEMP lists the partners that help the school achieve its environmental objectives and the relationships the school develops with sections of the community. Explanation of information to be added into Step 11 individual strategies and actions section

Name: Enter the name of the organisation or individual that assists the school. Type: Enter the type of organisation that is assisting the school.

i.e. non-government organisation, local government, etc. Contact: Enter the contact details for the organisation. Type of assistance: Enter the type of assistance provided to the school by the

organisation. Adding an organisation/contact

Click the ‘Add Contact/Organisation’ button, to enter a contact or organisation assisting the school with implementing the SEMP.

After clicking on the ‘Add Contact/Organisation’ button, a new window titled ‘Contact organisation description’ will appear. The type of contact/organisation can be selected from the drop-down menu and specific details for the contact/organisation assisting your school can be entered into the text boxes.

Click on the drop-down menu to select the type of contact/organisation or click on ‘Other’ if you wish to add your own.



Click on ‘Update’ to save the details to the SEMP.

After you have entered the contact/organisation details and clicked on ‘Update’, a new window will appear showing that the contact/organisation details have been added to the SEMP.

Click on the pen icon to edit the contact/organisation.

Editing a contact/organisation To edit the contact/organisation assisting your school with implementing the SEMP, click on the pen icon at the right-hand side of the page, next to the organisation/contact you wish to edit.

The ‘Contact organisation description’ window will appear with the information you have entered previously. Make your changes and click ‘Update’ to save the details to the SEMP.




To remove an entry

from the SEMP, click ‘Delete’.




Step 12 – Evaluating school achievements Step 12 in the planning process allows a school to make provisions for planning, tracking and evaluating its achievements and progress towards meeting environmental goals and targets through an evaluation plan.

The information in Step 12 is used to create a table within the SEMP that outlines the goals for a particular focus area, its issues, the action taken to meet focus goals and what has been achieved by the school or the school’s progress to date. This table then assists your school in reporting its success. It is important to note that information about focus goals, issues and actions has already been entered into the SEMP in Steps 7, 8 and 9 respectively and that Step 12 records how goals and targets are being met or achieved through the SEMP. Explanation of information to be added into Step 12 evaluating school achievements section Focus area: Choose from the drop down menu. Goal: Taken from the schools curriculum goals in Step 7. Strategy: Selected from a menu of strategies related to the five focus areas in Step 9. Issue/topic: Identified in Step 8 and linked to the preferred outcome as identified by the school community. Adding an evaluation

1. Select the focus area from the drop-down menu.

2. The goals, strategies and issues/topics for this focus area will appear below the ‘Previous Step’, ‘Save’ and ‘Next Step’ buttons. The default setting of ‘(none)’ will be recorded for ‘Achievement’ if this is a new SEMP.

Click on the drop-down menu to select one of the five focus areas.

3. Click on the pen icon to enter information about what has been achieved for a particular strategy.



4. A new window will appear where the strategy to be evaluated can be selected from a drop-down menu and specific details of achievement or progress can be entered into a text box.

Click on ‘Update’ to save the details to the SEMP

Click on the drop-down menu to select a strategy for evaluation.

Click here to enter your school’s achievements or progress.

After clicking on ‘Update’, a new window will appear, showing that the achievement information entered has been added to the SEMP.

The default ‘Achievement’ setting ‘(none)’ has been replaced with the information entered into the text box.



Editing an evaluation Editing an evaluation

To edit the evaluation, click on the pen icon at the right-hand side of the page, next to the strategy evaluation you wish to edit. To edit the evaluation, click on the pen icon at the right-hand side of the page, next to the strategy evaluation you wish to edit.

The ‘Strategy and action description’ window will appear with the information you have entered previously. Make your changes and click ‘Update’ to save the details to the SEMP. The ‘Strategy and action description’ window will appear with the information you have entered previously. Make your changes and click ‘Update’ to save the details to the SEMP.

Remember: Clicking on ‘Cancel’ will return you to the main Section without any updates. Clicking on ‘Delete’ will remove an entry from the SEMP.

Click on the pen icon to edit the evaluation of school achievements.

Click on ‘Update’ to save the details to the SEMP the SEMP



SEMP complete

After clicking on the ‘Next Step’ button in Step 12 of the SEMP Builder, the following screen will appear:

Click here to return to your SEMP list on the ‘My School Environmental Management Plan’ page.

Click the SEMP Builder Steps to review and edit the information you have added to your SEMP.

Click here to preview your SEMP report in a pdf format.

Remember: You can also preview/download your SEMP report by clicking on the view and download icons in ‘My SEMP List’ on the ‘My School Environmental Management Plan page’.

Click here to download your SEMP report in a pdf format.

Congratulations! You have now completed the SEMP steps.



How to logout

When you have finished using the QSS website and wish to logout (making sure that you have saved all of your data before doing so), click on ‘Logout’ at the top right-hand corner of the QSS webpage. This can be accessed from any page within the QSS website.

Accessing your SEMP again

To access your SEMP for editing, login and return to the ‘My School Environmental Management Plan’ by either:

going to ‘Planning’ (at the top of the QSS website home page) and selecting ‘My School Environmental Management Plan’ from the drop-down menu or,

clicking on the ‘My School’s Plan’ button



Your SEMPs will be listed under ‘My SEMP List’.

Editing and deleting SEMPS

To delete a SEMP, click on the red cross icon.

To edit a SEMP, click on the pen icon.

Editing a SEMP To edit a SEMP, click on the pen icon to the left-hand side of the SEMP you wish to edit. This will take you to Step 1 of the selected SEMP and the SEMP Builder.

Deleting a SEMP To delete a SEMP, click on the red cross icon to the left-hand side of the SEMP you wish to delete. A message box will appear, asking ‘Are You Sure You Wish To Delete This Item?’.

Click on ‘OK’ if you want to delete the SEMP.

Click on ‘Cancel’ if you do not want to delete the SEMP.



Appendices


Appendix 1: QESSI Regional Hub contact details

EQ Region Centre Phone

Numbers Hub Coordinator

Principal Email Address

Earth Smart Science Facilitator

Email Address

Darling Downs and South West

Amaroo EEC

Queensland Murray Darling Committee

4696 7140

4637 6224

Ross Brown

Renee Fletcher

[email protected]

[email protected]

Lee Reushle

Pippa Bagshaw

[email protected]

[email protected]

Far North Queensland

Daradgee EEC

Holloways Beach EEC

Tinaroo EEC

4063 3858

4055 9300

4095 8382

Noel Cristaudo

Louise Carver

Peter MacGregor

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

John Harrigan

Sandra Charlton

Allison Kerr-Hislop

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Central Queensland

Boyne Island EEC

North Keppel Is EEC

Kinchant Dam OEC

4973 7312

4939 2510

4954 1426

David Kopelke

Roger Searl

Ray Young

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Amanda Stirling

Gary Holmes

Marjorie Ross

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Metropolitan

Brisbane Urban EEC

Bunyaville EEC

Moreton Bay EEC

Nudgee Beach EEC

Pullenvale EEC

Toohey Forest EEC

3552 7111

3353 4356

3906 9111

3267 7811

3374 1002

3735 6557

Keith Enchelmaier

Noeleen Rowntree

Belinda Daly

Mary-Ann Pattison

Ron Tooth

Theresa Thomson

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Donna Smith

Kim Rayner

Catherine Colwill

Gabby Faull

David Jackson

Sandra Platz

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

North Coast

Maroochy Catchment Centre

Stanley River EEC

Barambah EEC

5476 4777

5497 1447

4168 8190

Sandy McBride

Cam Mackenzie

Mark Cridland

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Clare Cox

Steve Roach

Sue Gibson

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

North Queensland

Paluma EEC 4772 9555 Linda Venn [email protected] Louka Lazaredes [email protected]

South East

Jacobs Well EEC

Numinbah Valley EEC

Tallebudgera Beach OEC

5546 2317

5533 4148

5520 9300

Steve Rowell

Jim Rebgetz

Alan Rafton

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Gina Ygoa-McKeown

Melissa Traill

Craig Duncan

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]














































Appendix 2: Step 8 drop-down menu list for issue/topic categories Curriculum Environmental Citizenship Sponsorship Energy Management Waste Management Water Use Transport Purchase of Materials Grounds Management Grounds Planning Biodiversity Grounds Usage Gardening Whole School Planning Student Participation School Community Participation Other



Appendix 3: Step 9 drop-down menu strategies and actions lists A. Strategy and action description – Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Review teaching programs Develop and share new teaching programs Implement new teaching programs Undertake professional development Acquire new teaching resources Collaborate with other schools Participate in local environmental network meetings Include quality teaching elements in new teaching programs Review assessment tasks Establish the school as a learning context Increase collaboration between faculties Integrate environmental education with numeracy, literacy programs Integrate environmental education with all key learning areas Attend special environmental curriculum events Promote student leadership Promote environmental citizenship



Appendix 3 continued: Step 9 drop-down menu strategies and actions lists B. Strategy and action description – Management of Resource Energy, Waste and Water Audit energy usage Encourage energy saving practices Retrofit energy appliances Use alternate energy Monitor existing energy reduction projects Participate in energy reduction events Raise awareness about water Audit water usage Encourage water saving practices Retrofit water appliances Harvest rainwater Monitor existing water reduction processes Reuse grey water and stormwater Participate in water related events Raise awareness about waste Implement new bin systems Audit waste Participate in waste related events Increase reuse of materials Recycle organic waste Recycle paper Reuse paper Improve recycling generally Reduce waste from packaging Reduce waste generally Reduce chemical use Monitor existing waste reduction processes Raise awareness about environmental purchasing Audit materials purchased and used Buy environmentally friendly products Implement a no waste lunch project Monitor materials use and purchasing Participate in purchasing materials management events Raise awareness of transport issues Survey transport to school Encourage safe environmentally friendly transport Improve travel and transport to school Monitor existing transport actions Implement the walking bus Implement a safe cycling program



Appendix 3 continued: Step 9 drop-down menu strategies and actions lists C. Strategy action description – Management of School Grounds including Biodiversity Undertake grounds planning Monitor existing grounds projects Raise awareness of grounds issues Change existing grounds management practices Raise awareness about local biodiversity Conserve existing biodiversity Increase local biodiversity Monitor local biodiversity Participate in grounds events Beautifying school grounds Develop a wildlife/bushland corridor through the school Implement a permaculture garden Develop a food garden Develop a themed garden (eg. a harmony garden, bush food) Maintain existing gardens Redevelop degraded areas Participate in gardening events Develop outdoor learning areas Develop student areas Reduce stormwater and run off Reduce litter Reduce noise Increase grounds safety Maintain existing areas Participate in stormwater and other special events



Appendix 3 continued: Step 9 drop-down menu strategies and actions lists D. Strategy and action description – Integrated Whole-School Planning Review environmental education related school policies Develop environmental policies for the canteen Develop environmental friendly purchasing policies Develop environmental policies for the grounds and transport Develop procedures for students and staff Use the SEMP to identify annual environmental priorities Integrate the SEMP with the strategic management plan Integrate the SEMP into the school annual plan Report on achievements in the school annual report Develop information for the school prospectus Seek input from Council or local groups Consult students Include all staff: teaching, canteen, SASS and grounds Integrate extra-curricular activities for students Integrate into curriculum decision-making processes E. Strategy and action description – School and Community Partnerships Promote student leadership Promote environmental citizenship Support all staff to be involved in the SEMP activities Use local information and support resources from community groups Promote the school’s environmental education activities to the local community Include the local community in environmental celebration events Participate in local community events Participate in local government programs and events Involve and consult with the student representative body and the parent body

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