Sunbury Downs College

Victorian School Garden Awards 2015

Mini Orchard Award Application

School introduction • Sunbury Downs College is a

Government secondary school located approx. 50km North West of Melbourne.

• There are currently 745 students enrolled at Sunbury Downs College.

Student Involvement• As part of the VCAL Program at Sunbury Downs College, students are

expected to plan & take part in a group project.

• A group of students have begun to establish a small orchard in the school grounds to help meet some of their Outcomes in Personal Development Skills (PDS) & Work Related Skills (WRS).

• As well as meeting some of their PDS & WRS Outcomes, students have been able to create a pleasant, quiet space that student can utilise for years to come.

Student Involvement (cont.)• The Students have been responsible for completing all phases of this

project including:» Making an initial project proposal to the Principal» Planning layout» Budgeting » Planting » Ongoing maintenance of the orchard (eg. Pruning, watering etc.)

• The students plan to distribute some of the produce generated in the orchard to students free of charge, with any other produce to be sold to (by gold coin donation) to staff and parents with all funds raised to be donated to the VCAL cohorts nominated charity. In 2015, the nominated charity is The Muscular Dystrophy Foundation Australia.

Student Involvement (cont.)• Students received a grant form Healthy Together Hume, which provided

10 fruit trees to start the orchard.

• The School has since purchased 4 additional trees, taking the total number of trees to 14.

Teacher Involvement• Teachers of Personal Development Skills (PDS), Work Related Skills (WRS),

VCAL Literacy, VCAL Numeracy have been working closely together to ensure an that they intergrade the students projects into as the broader curriculum, where possible.

• Teachers have given their time to ensure trees were watered during the school holidays (June 2015) whilst they were still in their establishment phase.

Community Involvement• The students successfully applied for the Health Together Hume

Community Orchard Grant, which provided 10 trees to start the Orchard.

• The Orchard has been established in a public access area of the College so in the future it can be enjoyed not only by students, but by the wider community outside of school hours.

General appearance of the orchard• The orchard has been established in an area the formally housed unused

timber post bike racks.

• Once the trees become established it will provide a large shaded area.

General use of the orchard• The orchard is used by students to

meet Outcomes related to their Intermediate VCAL.

• Students use the area as a quiet place to talk / relax at recess and lunch times.

• Once the orchard is producing fruit its produce will be used for charitable causes.

Location of the orchard placed at Sunbury Downs College

• The orchard is located at the rear of the school, adjacent to the oval which backs onto Sunbury Heights Primary School.

• There is a walking path through the area that the orchard has been established that is used by students and the wider community (outside of school hours) to move through the school grounds.

What would Sunbury Downs College do if it were successful in receiving a Mini-Orchard Award?

• Students have ambitions of further extending the orchard to allowing them to include a wider variety of fruits.

• Any funds received would also be used to assist with the purchase of mulch and tree stakes to assist they trees growing.

What would winning this award mean for Sunbury Downs College?

• A Mini-Orchard award would be a fitting reward for the hard work students have invested in the orchard to date. Often going above and beyond, spending time a lunch and after school to tend to their trees.

• Receiving a Mini-Orchard award would allow for the expansion of the orchard.

• This support who help the Sunbury Downs College in its continual push to improve the school environment for all students and teachers.