Just over the river from the town of Koondrook (North-East of Kerang) is the delightful town of Barham. I have been charmed by this area and Barham Primary School is a revelation! Not only do they have a sensational vegie garden and chooks (one of which is named Sticky Beak if I remember correctly) but the school is fast creating a chook-shed-vegetable-preparation-and-storage-Eco-Cubby-Shop…TA DAAA!
Let me explain: The busy and enterprising children of Barham Primary have set up a shop to sell their vegetables. Each class has their own plot and grow a large variety of vegies, which they harvest, clean, bundle, weigh and price to sell to the community.
Their much loved chooks are currently housed in a long chook tractor and need a more permanent home, so their Eco-Cubby Design has incorporated a chook house, vegie preparation area and a garden shed. Separated from the vegie preparation area by a straw-bale wall, the chooks get the benefit of vegie scraps via a chute through the wall (that’s my favourite bit!).
The Children have been working with their wonderful architects Gerard and Belinda and have done a lot of problem solving associated with their cubby designs and their site. Learning about scale and measurement, the students have created sensational small models within groups and will build a 1:5 model in Term 3 (with a lot of help from parents and the community!)
I thoroughly enjoyed my day in Barham and felt honoured to be given a freshly laid egg as well as a huge bunch of rhubarb and a butternut pumpkin the children had grown…rhubarb crumble...yum!
vegie garden and chook tractor
Eco-Cubby design
Model making
Architects model on left, children's model on right (cool hey!)
looking inside the model at the vegetable preparation area (notice the vegies and the sink!)
back of the cubby showing happy chooks in their new home as well as the garden tools in the shed
Finished models basking in the sun - charging up those solar panels!
