Garbage and recycling bags were at the hands of St Gabriel’s Primary School students on Friday as they took part in the national Schools Clean Up Day.
After participating in a morning school assembly and presenting the winners of a four-week poster competition, students from grades prep to six roamed the school to clear up any litter.
Site coordinator Trudy Duxbury said the day was part of the school’s Civics and Citizens curriculum, which taught students about environmental sustainability and caring for the community.
“This is a community event, which is Australia-wide and happens all over the world,” Ms Duxbury said.
“I think it’s good to build on community spirit and the day gets students to realise they are helping their community in a practical way.”
St Gabriel’s has participated in the annual event for more than 12 years, to encourage the school community to clean up their act and remain rubbish free.
It is all in accordance with yesterday’s Clean Up Australia Day, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year.
Students happily picked up rubbish while others swept away sand and leaves, inspired by lessons about the o-zone layer and Clean Up Australia’s co-founder, Ian Kiernan.
Eleven year-old student Matilda, one of the poster competition’s 20 winners, said the day reminded her about the environment’s importance.
“I learnt it was very important to clean up our world,” the grade six student said.
“If we didn’t clean up, we wouldn’t live properly.”
