New Capella State School Marquees in action at Eco Club stall, Capella Community Markets

Capella State School recently purchased 5 new marquees thanks to Glencore’s Oaky Creek Coal Mine Community Grants Program. Beautifully branded with the school name and colours there are three large and two smaller marquees are to be used for outdoor events such as sports days, cross country, under 8’s, community events and much more, with one being a dedicated first aid marquee. 

Capella’s Eco Club have been the first to take advantage of the new marquees with a stall at the recent Capella Markets. Formed this year the students Eco Club has become a great success across the school community. The club is thriving with student participation growing and so are the environmental outcomes.

At the beginning of the year, the school started with no program in place to recycle paper and food waste products. Capella State School now have a dedicated Eco Club Captain with monitors in each class to collect paper, food and poppers at the end of each day. These are taken to a main storage point to sort and reuse. Paper is shredded for mulch, food waste is recycled to the worm farm and liquid containers are exchanged for cash at the ‘Containers for Change’ program.  This money is directly deposited to the school Parents and Citizens Association. Students also participate in looking after our market garden where herbs and vegetables are grown. Students recently held a stall at the Capella Community Markets selling produce from the Eco Club including herbs and vegetables, worm farm juice, shredded paper, upcycled plant pots and plants.

All proceeds from sales go back into the club to purchase more equipment. The counting of money and bookwork is incorporated into the curriculum and students learning.  All of our activities are engaging for our students with the aim to reduce waste from landfill, as well as creating a viable financial enterprise run by our students. Our future goals are to expand our recycling initiative by purchasing composting bins and a mulcher/shredder for our grounds waste.

A Big thank you to Glencore Oaky Creek Coal for your continued support to schools and the wider local community, it is very much appreciated.