By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
Monbulk Primary School has been named a finalist in the 2025 ResourceSmart Schools Awards, earning a spot in the coveted category of ResourceSmart School of the Year – and the school community couldn’t be prouder.
“When we told our colleagues about the nomination, the staff were very excited that our school is being acknowledged for the hard work our community has taken part in over the past 10 years,” Grade 3/4 teachers and sustainability leaders, Danielle Lamport and Emily Tan Sing said.
The news was announced to students at assembly by the school’s Sustainability Captains, and it was met with huge cheers – especially when they heard the awards ceremony would be held at the MCG.
The recognition caps off a decade-long sustainability journey for the Monbulk school, which has seen students and staff embed environmental action into everyday school life – from curriculum planning to lunchbox habits.
“Our school started this journey ten years ago, and while commitment was a little slow to begin with, once we started gaining our first couple of stars, momentum really built,” Ms Lamport said.
Now, sustainability is a key part of the school’s identity. It’s taught explicitly from Prep to Year 6 in Term One and reinforced throughout the year in STEM classes, the kitchen garden, and everyday classroom learning.
“For some students, this even extends to the home,” she said.
At the heart of it all is strong student leadership. Sustainability Captains Eliza Phyland and Angus Head, supported by Angus Crawford and Emmaline Roberts, help guide the school’s green initiatives and share updates with the school at weekly assemblies.
“We believe that the ideas and roll-out should be presented by the students so that there’s more buy-in. That way, these sustainable behaviours will carry through into the next generation of adults,” Ms Lamport said.
Recent years have seen the school take major steps to boost biodiversity on campus, following building works that removed much of the existing gardens.
Inspired by a visit to Eastwood Primary – last year’s School of the Year – Monbulk students planted 150 native grasses and 35 ground covers to revitalise their nature play area.
They’ve also created insect hotels, butterfly-friendly gardens and are now planning a frog pond, after discovering two frogs on the school grounds.
“When the students plant the gardens themselves, they’re more mindful of looking after them,” Ms Tan Sing said – though she admits, “we have had a few casualties.”
Waste reduction has also been a standout success, especially after a Year 3/4 unit on waste.
The school went from large 25-litre bins in each classroom to smaller five-litre general waste bins, alongside composting and recycling systems.
The Container Deposit Scheme has been introduced, and students are encouraged to bring rubbish-free lunches – all helping to slash waste and reduce skip bin collections to just once a fortnight.
The school also plays a key mentoring role in the broader education community, supporting other schools on their own sustainability journeys.
“We’re really proud to be able to share what we’ve learned. Achieving five stars is a lot of work, and we hope to inspire others as we’ve been inspired ourselves,” Ms Tan Sing said.
But it hasn’t all been easy.
“Time is our biggest challenge,” she said.
“We often work on the admin side of things after hours and fit in meetings with the Sustainability Team during the day when we can. There’s so much more we’d love to do, but we have to pace ourselves.”
Still, the hard work has paid off. Monbulk Primary achieved its fifth ResourceSmart star at the end of 2023, an achievement the school marked with a whole-school picnic.
Now, being shortlisted for School of the Year feels like the cherry on top.
“We are so thrilled and proud to be recognised,” Ms Lamport and Ms Tan Sing said.
“It’s not just about the Sustainability Team – it’s a celebration of the work that’s been done by our whole school community, past and present, since 2015.”
The winners of this year’s awards will be announced at a ceremony at the MCG on 5 June.
