We were very excited to assist with the launch of an art exhibition open to school students across the state, which will coincide with the ban on single-use plastic in South Australia. From March 1, single-use plastic straws, cutlery, cups, bowls and stirrers will be prohibited from sale, supply or distribution in South Australia. The school art exhibition 'What can we do about single-use plastics', aims to stimulate discussion and creative responses to taking action on single-use plastics and give students the opportunity to channel their thoughts into a creative call for action. Thanks to Sid, Charlotte and Micah who assisted with the unveiling of the REPLACE THE WASTE art exhibition and were featured in The Courier.
Cycle 3 and 4 students will be visiting The Plastic Bag Store in Rundle Mall, which is a quirky installation created from hundreds of upcycled plastic bags and plastic rubbish and is part of the Adelaide Festival.
A number of our classes are creating art work to submit to the 'Replace the Waste' exhibition to help promote the single-use plastic ban in a creative and innovative way. .
Preschool classes have been looking into the impact of plastics that make their way into the oceans. Working as a whole class, they are creating an octopus sculpture from single-use plastics and including information on why plastics are bad for the ocean.
Cycle 1 Primary classes are working on individual posters. They have been looking at different types of plastic and how to recycle it.
Cycle 2 classes have been reading a book called The Seagull by Danny Snell, a simple, heart- warming story about the rescue of a seagull caught up in a tangle of beach litter. Students in Cycle 2 are making posters that have positive messages about the conservation of our environment and the preservation of our wildlife.
Suzie/Sam's Cycle 3 class are creating media advertisements that talk about the ban on single-use plastics and why it's necessary for the planet. They're hoping other states in Australia also come on board with the ban on single-use plastics.
The environment is a key concern for children and young people and their desire to adopt affordable, scalable solutions that will enable us all to move to a cleaner world is evident every day in the classroom. Students of this generation have been saying no to single-use plastics for some time, they know the effects that plastics can have in our oceans and across the environment. The art exhibition is a wonderful way for students to not only raise awareness, but also feel a part of the initiative to ban the sale of single-use plastics in South Australia.
If you would like to visit the Replace the Waste exhibition, it will take place at the Adelaide City Library in Rundle Place, and will run from February 23 until March 26.
Cathy France
Principal