Last term I shared with you the significant goal that the School has established to reduce our emissions footprint. There is nothing more important than preserving life and quality of life, so we are determined to strive to be part of the solution regarding climate change, rather than the problem. We also see great opportunity in engaging our students on the learning journey that will accompany a change in our practice.

United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres spoke directly to youth when he said that: “My generation has largely failed until now to preserve both justice in the world and to preserve the planet. It is your generation that must make us be accountable to make sure that we don’t betray the future of humankind.”

Further, the United Nations Youth in Action website states that “young people are not only victims of climate change. They are also valuable contributors to climate action. They are agents of change, entrepreneurs and innovators. Whether through education, science or technology, young people are scaling up their efforts and using their skills to accelerate climate action.”

With this in mind, it has been so heartening to see the launch of Regen Week. This is predominantly a student-led initiative which aims to encourage participation in actions they can take to reduce emissions while being educated around the opportunities to adopt meaningful sustainable practices. The student committee has been supported by interested staff who have guided them to design a meaningful set of activities, education materials and communications.

Regen Week runs across the first two weeks of Term 4 and offers new and exciting activities to gain momentum around the King David Zero Emissions Project. The organisers note that this  “is about creating a culture change where students feel passionate to take action and uphold sustainability within the school.”

Regen Week will include a Sukkot Picnic lunch, a range of fun lunchtime activities which encourage planting and appropriate disposal of waste, a ride to school day and a sustainable market that aims to reduce the cycle of disposable purchases that contribute so negatively to landfill and are also resource heavy in their manufacture. There will also be a First Nations speaker, Tishiko King, who will speak to students about her connection with land and sea and the threat to her homeland Zenadh Kes (the Torres Strait Islands & surrounding seas).

I hope that all of our students and staff benefit from the rich range of activities planned over Regen Week and take this opportunity to congratulate the team of staff and students involved in its foundation.

Shabbat Shalom, 

Marc Light