Yarra Junction Primary School students did some serious environmental advocacy work in December 2025 after sending letters to federal Casey MP Aaron Violi.
The clever combination of science and literacy curriculums not only taught children about persuasive writing and the environment – it also helped them find their own voice.
Grade one-two teacher Mairi Thomas said it enabled students to realise it’s up to them to take care of the planet.
“We’ve been learning all about the ocean and the environmental impact plastic has on the ocean,” Ms Thomas said.
“With our persuasive letters, we decided to write them to Aaron Violi and give them to him so that actually they can realise that they do have a voice and they can make a difference.”
The students requested for supermarkets to stop using single-use plastic packaging after they learnt about the harm it does to marine life.
One student Oliver said animals were mistaking plastic packaging for food and eating it, which could cause them to die.
“Since there’s so much plastic going out every day, that means that there’s been around, I don’t know, maybe nine or so garbage patches all around the world.”
“I hope that Aaron Violi could maybe go to most of the supermarkets and maybe try and make them use less plastic packaging and not for everything,” Oliver said.
Meanwhile student Charlee spoke of the pride she feels in taking responsibility and trying to make change in the world.
“It kind of makes me happy,” she said.
Mr Violi said as the local federal representative, it was important for him to listen to local children forming the next generation.
“The grade one and two students at Yarra Junction Primary School have taken the time to write to me about single-use plastics and the impact on our marine life.
“With much of our community surrounded by the beautiful Yarra River, it is so important students continue learning about how we can protect our environment for years to come,” he said.
Ms Thomas’ students are only in grades one to two, yet they proved themselves to be quite articulate
“The level of maturity and the writing that’s come across has been really impressive, particularly as they’re only grade one and two students and they’re quite young.”
She said writing has a greater purpose in expressing oneself and understanding others, and it was tasks like these which helped show students how writing can be beneficial outside of school.
“Often I feel with writing, children need to realise that it has a purpose and it’s not just something to be done at school.
“Writing is not just something to be done in a school book but that it has an impact on their life as well,” she said.
Mr Violi planned to contact the Prime Minister and Coles and Woolworths with the responses.
“I will be writing to the Prime Minister as well as Coles and Woolworths to share the thoughts and concerns of the students at Yarra Junction Primary School, and look forward to keeping them updated on any responses I receive.”
