Loving the environment and saving the bees was the message shared by three beauties to pupils of Chartwell House Montessori Eco-School on 27 July.
Miss Earth South Africa 2014, Ilze Saunders with Miss Earth regional finalists, Annie Kristen and Mandisa Mqolombeni visited the school and presented talks on recycling and preserving the earth, as well as saving the bees.
“Because sustainable living is a core part of the ethos of our school, we were excited for the children to meet role models who are driven by the same values and could validate the efforts [our children] have put into growing food and making a positive contribution to the area,” said the principal of the School, Heather Kreusch.
She added that the Miss Earth finalists discussed the concept of Reduce, Re-use, Re-cycle and Re-think with the children and discussed the importance of protecting bees – a vital aspect of pollination and food security in South Africa.
The eco-school is registered with the Department of Agriculture to keep bees and has two beehives on the school grounds. In addition to this, the school also has just completed a project with wetland specialist, Dr Johan van der Waals of TerraSoil Science, where a new septic tank system was installed at the school which filters overflow through a bullrush filtration system.
On the horizon for the coming spring, the school plans to extend the children’s vegetable garden and orchard.
Kreusch said that due to the rapidly changing and increasingly dynamic career landscape our children will face in the future, they need to be firmly rooted in ingenuity, creativity and adaptability. “Therefore, our focus, besides education, is on developing the characteristics that will enable them to become driven, take the initiative, be proactive, organise themselves, manage their own time, set goals and achieve them, and experience the internal satisfaction that comes from being self-motivated, diligent and applying yourself,” she said.
“The heart of the Montessori philosophy is for each child to operate from this point of view, this is what we are committed to.”
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