News

McDonald Park School launches!

McDonald Park School, in Mt Gambier, South Australia, has recently launched their Kitchen Garden Program!

The official launch was attended by Stephanie, Mayor of Mt Gambier Steve Perryman and author and Kitchen Garden Program supporter Dee Nolan, among 700 students, parents, teachers and community members.

Some superb entertainment on the day included an African drumming performance, with everyone, including the VIPs, singing and dancing along - to all reports everyone had a great time! Stephanie handed over the ceremonial red watering can to Principal Sandy Davey, Program Coordinator Scott Dickson, Garden Specialist Michelle Lik and Kitchen Specialist Jenny McCourt.

Sam Oshodi, one of the drummers, presented three drums to classes that had helped make them over the previous week, and conducted a traditional drum-blessing ceremony. This was all part of the school's African-themed week, and included some of Sam's favourite recipes from Nigeria.

The superb menu, made in the school kitchen by the McDonald Park students, included:

• Warrigal green empanadas
• mini lemon meringues
• mini leek & caramelised onion tarts
• flat bread with hommus.

The school already has numerous bookings to use their kitchen, where students will cater for events such as the Bendigo Bank AGM for 120 people. They are also running very popular adult cooking classes including Tapas and French Cuisine. (All booked out in advance!)

The McDonald park garden is a huge one acre, in which even the Junior Primary students (under Year 3) students have been allocated their own beds as they were so keen to be a part of the Kitchen Garden Program. They are also enjoying related class work, such as drawing and designing garden beds, drawing plants at various stages of growth, learning new kitchen garden-related vocabulary and so on.

While McDonald Park has been very fortunate in gaining local community support, such as a Bendigo Bank donation of $20,000 and many financial as well as in-kind donations, they can always use more volunteers in kitchen and garden classes - so please just contact the school if you'd like to be involved in this wonderful kitchen garden community.

Congratulations McDonald Park - we can't wait to share more of your news!

View the ABC South East SA feature, complete with pics and an interview with Stephanie, here.