Students clean-up at Scarborough Beach

18 December 2019

A group of industrious St Andrew’s Grammar School (Dianella) students who wanted to make a difference in their community have rolled up their sleeves with a clean-up day at Scarborough Beach.

About 30 students from Years 7 to 11 - along with several teachers – got stuck into the clean-up project after learning about the concerning amount of plastic waste ending up in the world’s oceans.

The students initially contacted the City’s Waste team and proposed a beach clean-up as a way that the school could help on a local level. Keen to support the students, the City provided gloves, high-vis vests and waste collection bags. 

On the day, students collected everything from empty cans and cups to pizza boxes and sizeable cardboard delivery boxes.  

Mayor Mark Irwin said the students were an excellent example of young people in the local community out there making a difference.

“On behalf of the community, I would like to thank and congratulate every one of the students and staff members for their efforts – they did a fantastic job along Scarborough Beach,” Mayor Irwin said. 

“It’s heartening to know that we have community-minded young people in the City of Stirling who are looking out for our environment and getting out there with hands-on projects to make things better.” 

The students are part of the school’s H.O.P.E (Help Our Planet Earth) group, which formed earlier this year to create projects that would benefit the planet and have a positive impact on the community.

St Andrew’s Grammar Schhool Principal Craig Monaghan said he was extremely proud of the efforts of students and staff.

“This is what the wider curriculum is all-about, students giving back to the community and in doing so receiving so much more in return,” Mr Monaghan said.

Members of the voluntary H.O.P.E. group meet during school lunch periods each term to discuss potential projects. 

As well as the clean-up day at Scarborough Beach, the group recently held a fundraiser to go towards rhino preservation efforts and have made their own beeswax wraps to replace the use of plastic wrap in school lunches.

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