Costa welcomed to Wendouree PS

LANDSCAPE architect and television presenter Costa Georgiadis has visited Wendouree Primary School to spend time with students and tour the school gardens.

Mr Georgiadis visited the school last Friday, making spinach and feta triangles with students as well as taking part in planting activities with Green Grub Garden Club students.

He toured the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden which includes a pizza oven, chickens, compost bins and raised garden beds.

Year six student and garden club member Charlotte said it was exciting to have Mr Georgiadis visit to learn about the school’s environmental initiatives.

“It feels really good to have a TV celebrity and garden celebrity here,” she said.

Wendouree Primary School recently received its third star for the ResourceSmart Schools initiative, which recognises efforts to integrate education for sustainability into the curriculum.

“These sorts of things can’t happen unless there’s a two-way push; it’s got to push from the top down and it’s got to push from the bottom up,” Mr Georgiadis said.

“When you’ve got a framework that gives you a garden educator and a kitchen educator, that enables those educators not only to work together, but to create the circular story.”

Mr Georgiadis said it is critical to teach children about small sustainable actions they can make so they don’t feel overwhelmed.

“They have a lot more information at an earlier age, which can create overwhelm,” he said.

“Overwhelm is actually something that removes the capacity to take action because you get paralysed.

“This program in the garden and the kitchen unpacks the nitty gritty of day-to-day life, giving them the skills to then go forward and make the decisions they need to make.”