Healthy Cities, Healthy Schools Program – Scenic Shores Primary School
Practices improved:
Healthy Cities, Healthy Schools – Scenic Shores Primary School
Running the Program
Scenic Shores took a variety of paths to integrate the ‘Healthy Cities, Healthy Schools’ program into their learning journey.
The Nature Walk was integrated into their STEM lessons, where prep students were introduced to their five senses and began noticing new things around the school that they hadn’t paid attention to before. Students noticed the sound of the cows that are located near their school, as well as the heat of the sun and the feeling of the wind during their walk.
They also integrated the art activity for these students by creating a collage of a plant made of fallen leaves they found on their walk. Older students in the school completed their art activity during a trip to the local mangroves, where they were asked to sketch the environment around them, which helped them connect to a new environment and understand its biodiversity. Some students enjoyed having quiet time and other students enjoyed the chance to be active in nature. Teachers also loved this activity and noted that it increased wellbeing outcomes!
During Module 3, it was the year 3-6 students who took the lead on this end of term activity, helping the younger students throughout the Sustainability Games Day. The students loved engaging as an entire school and interacting with the different grade levels. A representative of the Brisbane Sustainability Agency Team was also able to attend this activity and enjoyed seeing the students all engaging in their activities.
Sustainability Pledges
The school also took the sustainability pledge module to the next level! They had students make pledges to reduce waste and develop more sustainable practices with small, simple actions, and then displayed these in the school library where other students and visitors could read them and get inspiration for their own actions. This helped students who are already sustainability leaders in their own lives, teach others how they can make an impact. Some of the most popular pledges surrounded items students use every single day such as reducing paper waste and food waste. Students were excited to have their voices heard and to take action in their own lives.
School Sustainability
As a new school, founded in 2024, the schools have been able to establish sustainable energy, water and rubbish programs from its foundation and have been able to build on their sustainability through this program and other programs such as Eco-marines and Pick of the Crop. Students enjoyed each activity in the program, asking when they would get to do more activities like these.
Planting Fun!
At the end of the program, ten representative students from the school received the completion certificate and helped plant the over 30 plants in the native plant garden, an area that is growing within in the school. During planting, several of the schools’ chickens came over for a visit, as well as some nesting birds who were happy to enjoy the show. This diversity in nature and animal life at Scenic Shores State School shows their commitment to connecting to nature and sustainability. Well done to the Scenic Shores State School team on completion of the Healthy Cities, Healthy Schools program.
Join the Healthy Cities, Healthy Schools Program
Want to be a part of the Healthy Cities, Healthy Schools program in 2026?
You can register your interest here.
