Green Schools News

In September 2018 an enthusiastic new Green Schools Committee was selected.  Two children from each of the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th classes were chosen to represent our school.  Last year we were awarded our 5th Green Flag for biodiversity.  Three children from last year's Green Schools Committee travelled to the Helix, DCU to collect the flag.  We had a flag raising ceremony in the hall with the whole school in June, at which the youngest child and the oldest child in the school raised the flag for the first time.  The Green Schools Committee then had the opportunity to raise the flag outside the school on that same day.  

In September 2018, the new Green Schools Committee began work on our next theme, Global Citizenship: Litter and Waste.  They completed an environmental review to see how well we are recycling and what we can do to recycle more and recycle better.  They compiled a list of actions (our Action Plan) which we hope to undertake over the next two years to improve our recycling, reduce littering on the school grounds and help improve our environment.  

The whole school is on board with this initiative, and so far we have removed all general waste bins from the classrooms, leaving only recycling bins.  The children are being encouraged to bring in reusable containers with their lunch so as to cut down on packaging waste.  The children of the Green Schools Committee have done a number of litter picks on the school grounds and have identified litter hotspots.  They are designing posters to deter people from littering on the school grounds, and a number of these posters will be made into permanent signs to be displayed around the grounds of the school.  

The aim of the programme is to raise awareness about issues such as sustainable development, fair trade, carbon footprint, food miles, plastic in the oceans and the impact we have on the environment. 

Over the coming months, all classes will undertake projects on particular topics to raise awareness of these important topics.  

We will still be maintaining the other themes from our previous green flags: energy, travel, water and biodiversity.  The children have planted bulbs in the school garden, which will be blooming soon and later in the Spring, we will be planting vegetables in the garden.  Ella Cullen, one of our 6th class students, designed a beautiful sign for the school garden.  

The third classes will be involved in planting trees with the Tree Council of Ireland on the school grounds during the year.  Ms Carney's class, Birch, planted five alder trees and five silver birch trees on the school grounds and we look forward to more trees being planted over the coming months.