It is with great pleasure that we announce Montville State School was accepted into the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation (SAKGF) program this in July.
The aim of the SAKGF is to introduce pleasurable food education into as many Australian primary schools as possible. Their motto is “Growing, Harvesting, Preparing & Sharing”.
The Kitchen Garden Program emphasises the flavours as well as the health benefits of fresh, seasonal food. Dishes cooked reflect the vegetables, herbs and fruits grown, season-by-season, by the children in their organic gardens. The Program is designed to be fully integrated into the primary school curriculum, as it offers infinite possibilities to reinforce literacy, numeracy, science, cultural studies and all aspects of environmental sustainability. In addition, the Program delivers observable social benefits to all students.
A national funding model was unveiled late 2012 that offered program delivery in a more flexible manner. After an information gathering tour in May, we believed Montville SS showed it could adapt to offering the program in this context, and that we had infrastructure in place already to build upon.
As for many years the Permaculture Garden and sustainability practices have been a part of the learning experience at Montville State School, the program offers us the opportunity to complete the cycle by preparing, cooking and sharing the produce grown on site here at school.
As a member of the program, we have access to a wide range of online and physical teaching resources, as well as the help of the Foundation which has now been established for over ten years. It is exciting that all the hard work staff, parents and volunteers have put into building the Permaculture Garden, will be further enhanced upon to offer even more to our children and their learning experience here at school.
The program does not offer us funding in monetary terms. This we will have to navigate ourselves, but believe it is possible with the help of our parents, business and wider community, volunteers and other interested persons.
On Tuesday, 6th August at 9.ooam, there will be a Parent Information Morning Tea in the Undercover area, to celebrate our inclusion in the program, as well as discuss further its development, what will we require and how we are proceeding.
A proposed Community Morning Tea (parents also welcome) will also be conducted on Tuesday, 20th August so if you know of interested family or community members who may be interested in volunteering their time for the garden, kitchen, working bees or other pursuits, please let them know they are welcome.
One other Date to Save is Sunday, 15th September. This will be a Fundraising Dinner and held at the MVA Hall. More details will follow, but please keep in mind – support will be crucial in having the program succeed, so tell everyone!!
UPDATE 23.08.13
MONTVILLE STATE SCHOOL FUNDRAISING DINNER
To celebrate and commence our journey in bringing the Kitchen Garden Program to Montville State School, we would like to invite you to share in an evening of good food, music and company.
Dinner will be in the style of the SAKG program – shared platters featuring fresh, seasonal produce cooked simply and wholesomely.
Musically, the evening will feature local entertainer, Wayne Wiltshire, as well as students from Montville State School who will perform in the Garden a pre dinner interlude.
Wine and non-alcoholic refreshments will be available at the bar. Raffles and fundraising will feature during the evening.
Date: Sunday, 15th September, 2013
Time: 5.30pm for Pre dinner
6.30pm for Dinner
Location: Pre dinner - in the Garden at Razorback House (end of cul-de-sac past school
entrance)
Dinner – Montville Village Hall
Cost: $65 per person
For more information about this dinner please phone Montville State School on 5452 1333 or go to www.montvilless.eq.edu.au. For more information regarding ticket sales phone Leanne on 0417 733 768