News

Surfside PS rides the wave

A Kitchen Garden School since 2006, Surfside PS is part of a small coastal community on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula. 150 children participate in the Kitchen Garden Program between Years 3 and 6, from the total school population of 270 students.

Currently, the children are busy weeding out the very final crops of basil and pumpkin, and constructing frames for the snowpeas and broad beans going in, along with the winter crops of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, endives and carrots.

It's already been a busy year for Surfside, beginning with a successful volunteer recruitment drive that resulted in almost enough assistants in every class, including Maria, a recently graduated student teacher constructively filling in the time until she receives her registration by gaining as much experience as possible in garden and kitchen classes.

Coming into the colder months the kitchen has of course seen a lot of preserving action, and taken advantage of the autumn harvest with menus including Apple, celery & sultana salad; Pear frangipane tarts; Handmade pasta with roasted pumpkin, ricotta & oregano; and Rhubarb & white chocolate muffins.       

Surfside is also taking advantage of the curriculum links provided by kitchen and garden classes, including studying report writing and procedural texts, seasons and changing weather patterns, planting guides and the effects of tsunamis and earthquakes. Their ICT stream has also seen a boost with the new student-run Surfside PS blog - learn all about the school's Kitchen Garden Program at http://surfsidekitchengarden.blogspot.com/.

"I'm really glad that 5/6s are doing the kitchen and garden again!" (Year 6 student)

Congratulations on rising from strength to strength Surfside!