Kitchen/Garden Program

We are very proud of our Cooking & Gardening Program at RPS which was established by our school almost 7 years ago.  Our fully equipped kitchen with four independent work stations enables students to work in small groups with an adult; maximising their involvement and learning experiences.

Our program is targeted at students in the Year 3-4 Unit in 2 hour classes that operate on a rotation cycle which includes sessions in both the vege garden and cooking centre.  In each 2 hour class students learn valuable skills in food preparation and hygiene, cooking techniques and food service. Within their workstation teams, students prepare, cook and serve the specified recipes within each cooking session which includes wherever possible, fresh produce from the gardens.  This creates an awareness of where our food comes from, the importance of sitting together with family and friends to both enjoy a meal and engage in conversation, whilst also learning table manners and skills in being able to serve out food. Teachers and students across the school also utilise the cooking centre for special days, such as Pancake Day, Mother’s and Father’s Day and as integration into the learning in the classrooms or our LOTE program.

The Cooking Gardening Program aims to help children develop healthy eating habits for life by giving them the exposure to eating healthily in a way that is both engaging and practical and to be able to take this learning from the cooking class into their homes and beyond.

Our program also focuses on concepts such as

• Hygiene and safety in the kitchen
• Knife handling and chopping skills
• Food and nutrition
• Culture and celebrations

Our garden program also runs for a two hour period in the rotation cycle.  Students are involved in tasks such as preparing and tending to garden beds, harvesting herbs, fruit and vegetables and learning about water conservation and environmental sustainability. When sufficient produce is available, students also run their own produce stall for parents and friends to purchase fresh produce or they work in conjunction with the kitchen staff to make preserves, sauces and relishes.