Marco School Principal Jen Vincent says the school's Enviroschool journey has been fun as well as educational, helping to ensure the learning achieved is learning for life.
"The children have worked really hard on every part of it and they enjoy all the different ways they can combine their learning with ideas from Enviroschools."
From selling their homemade preserves to the school and wider community to making an earth oven, pupils at the school have integrated enviromentally friendly ideas and initiatives into all parts of their school life.
The earth oven was part of an art project suggested by the school's art teacher, Mrs Spencer, who comes to the school every six months. Made out of clay, concrete and glass bottles, the pupils even made the clay bricks themselves. As well as cooking pizza in it, the oven has even come in useful during a power cut, cooking their pies for lunch in it.
For several years, Marco School preserves have been a popular item for sale in the community. Using fruit from their own "fruit forest" as well as donations from the community of vegetables and fruit, the pupils are involved in all aspects of the process. From planting to growing and weeding, peeling and chopping, measuring and stirring, the preserves are made by the pupils. Canning and bottling the preserves sees the youngsters learn about the science behind preserving, while setting the prices helps them with maths as well as learning marketing skills.
