Plastic Oceans Australasia
Ocean Cleaners
Anula Primary School is delighted to be a member of Plastic Oceans Australasia. We were fortunate to be sponsored by Veolia to participate in this groundbreaking initiative, where we have been tasked with the responsibility to encourage students and families to change their habits and thoughts when it comes to the use of single use plastic in our school.
We have a committed group of students who have called themselves the “Ocean Cleaners.” As a group they decided on their team’s name, and produced a catchy slogan which is “Plastic is mean, keep our oceans clean.” The Ocean Cleaners were also responsible for designing their own logo and did so using iPads and apple pens to create a logo that captured their thinking.
The circular logo has been printed on durable aprons that are made from cotton. These aprons are worn by the team when they are out working in the orchard and vegetable gardens. The rectangular logo has been printed on magnetic badges that the team wears daily so they are identifiable and available to answer any questions the students and families may have regarding our initiatives or alternatively, bring ideas to the team members so they can action or explore on behalf of our school community.
The Ocean Cleaners meet every Friday afternoon from 1.20 pm to 2.30 pm, where we work our way through the educational modules and materials provided by Plastic Oceans Australasia. During these sessions, we learn new content, conduct experiments, research plastic usage and waste in our school, and document and communicate our data on waste and educational progress. We also put frequent updates in our school newsletters written by the students in the team, informing our school community what our focus and endeavors have been. These updates are also presented at our whole school assembly by members of the Ocean Cleaners team. The Principal of Anula Primary School, Melinda Kealy, leads this team of students and conducts regular meetings every Friday. The Principal is a strong advocate of Plastic Oceans Australasia, is passionate about the work the team is undertaking, and is extremely committed to ensuring Anula Primary School continues to work towards sustainable practices that have a positive influence and impact on the world in which we live. We only get one world, it is our job to cherish it!
