This followed the young Georges Hall gardeners, led by environment teacher Antonina Fieni, winning second place in the School Kitchen Garden section for primary schools at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Principal Monica Palmer said the students were eager to enter their basket of beautiful melons, pumpkins, zucchini, tomatoes, capsicum, lettuce, snowpeas, potatoes, beetroot and a variety of herbs.
“We were all so proud for the students to take out second place; it was fantastic recognition for their efforts,” Ms Palmer said.
As well as excess produce being shared among parents at the school on a weekly basis, the vegetables also have an educational purpose with Year 6 students taking part in a weekly OzHarvest cooking program at the school.
“Just last week, the students made a ‘crunchy noodle salad’ with the cabbage, snowpeas and herbs that they had grown,” she said.
“Our teachers are trained in the OzHarvest program and the children learn about about sustainable food use and not wasting food.
“Our garden fell into disrepair during covid so it’s wonderful to have it come so alive again and parents love it; our pumpkins fly off our share table like hot cakes.
“We are very lucky to have our garden guru teacher Antonina who is the driving force behind it all.”
