At Morris Hall, sustainability is a big part of how our Grammarians grow to understand the world. Sustainability is a way of thinking, leading and giving back. As part of our Year 4 Leadership Program, students can step into real leadership roles across a variety of areas, including our passionate and active Green Team. This team, led by our Sustainability Leaders – Ruby, Aurelia, Lea and Celine – plays a vital role in supporting environmental initiatives both in and beyond the classroom.

The Program is grounded in the values of leadership, community service and a deep respect for our environment. Each year, the Year 4 Sustainability Leaders take on a major project in collaboration with Melbourne Zoo’s Fighting Extinction campaign, which raises awareness and support for endangered Australian animals. In 2025, we’ve been helping the Swift Parrot – one of the most critically endangered birds in Australia.

"Sustainability is a way of thinking, leading and giving back."

To help protect this beautiful species, our students have launched the 'Save the Swift Parrot' campaign, combining educational outreach with creative and fun community events. From a vibrant bird-themed dress-up day with a Taylor Swift inspired disco and bracelet-making session, the campaign has captivated the Morris Hall community. Students ran peer-led activities including a Swift Parrot scavenger hunt, themed yoga, peg-making crafts, and even a chocolate noodle nest activity to highlight the birds' nesting habits. “We loved raising money and creating awareness to save the Swift Parrot,” says Aurelia.

As part of our National Parrot Day celebration, every student contributed a hand-shaped cutout to form the wings of a giant Swift Parrot art installation – symbolising how collective action can help endangered species fly once more.

Their learning has gone beyond our Morris Hall gates. Year 4 students Ruby, Aurelia and Lea proudly represented Morris Hall at the CERES Student Leadership Summit, collaborating with other young leaders from across Melbourne (who were mostly Year 6 students!). Ruby loved “meeting new people” and learning new things about how to “help the Earth”. They discussed new ideas for sustainable school practices and returned inspired to lead new changes here at Morris Hall.

This student-led work aligns closely with our School’s broader sustainability goals. Morris Hall is part of the Resource Smart Schools program, run by Sustainability Victoria. This initiative recognises and rewards schools for progress in sustainability. We’re proud to have already completed the Core, Waste, Water, and Biodiversity modules and recently achieved our second Sustainability Star. We are now working on the Energy module and hope to continue climbing towards a five-star rating.

A recent highlight was our Water Audit, a hands-on project where students helped inspect taps, check for leaks and investigate how water is used around our campus. Ruby said she liked leading projects and is “proud of [their] idea to put buckets under bubblers so [they] don’t waste water”. It’s just one example of how our Sustainability Leaders take real responsibility for improving the School environment.

The Sustainability Leaders used Dreamtime stories like Tiddalick the Frog and How the Birds Got Their Colours to inspire sustainable change around Morris Hall by highlighting the importance of preserving resources, protecting the environment, considering how their choices affect the world around them and promoting eco-friendly practices at school. Aurelia liked how the “Dreamtime stories help us connect to the land”.

All these experiences help students build a wider perspective of the world and their place within it. Learning about environmental challenges and actively working on solutions fosters empathy, critical thinking and a sense of global citizenship. These are essential qualities for young leaders who will one day shape the future of our planet.

"... we believe that when children lead with purpose, they inspire change."

Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue our Swift Parrot campaign and will be sharing our efforts at the Melbourne Zoo’s Fighting Extinction showcase in November. We’ll also be making bird feeders in preparation for the Aussie Bird Count later in the year – another step in learning how to care for native wildlife right in our own backyards.

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At Morris Hall, we believe that when children lead with purpose, they inspire change. Through sustainability education, our students are not only learning about the world – they’re working to protect it.

As Aurelia put it, “no matter who or where you are, you can make a difference”.