Southern Metropolitan Region
Edi Upper Primary School
There are some great smells wafting from Edi Upper Primary School. The school has been cooking up a storm in its newly refurbished kitchen. The school is also using the kitchen as a tool to strengthen their links within the community.
“We run a kitchen garden program for three other local primary schools, the kitchen is used for adult cooking classes for single people in the community and we are planning to run a program where the children prepare and share a meal each month with the meals on wheels senior citizens in our local area,” says school principal, Michael Cross.
The BER refurbishment has also complemented the school’s participation in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Victoria Program. “The new kitchen ties in with the program perfectly and it has allowed more children to be involved,” says Mr Cross.
The refurbished facility allows students to expand their cooking experiences and gain other valuable skills. Year 6 student, India, says “During the time that we have had our new kitchen I have learnt more skills and have developed more of a passion for food. We are so lucky to have this privilege and learn lots of different kitchen techniques.”
“The children themselves run programs for other schools. This develops their interpersonal skills and oral language as well as their confidence,” Mr Cross says.
“A big plus is that now a wider group of students and community members can work with the Edi Upper students, and our students have the opportunity to engage in planning and organising activities around our kitchen and garden.”
December, 2011
