Working Towards a Green Flag

We Need Your Support!

As you may already be aware, this year our school has decided to take part in a very exciting and innovative project known as Green Schools Ireland lead by Ms Robinson. The project is an environmental educational programme centred around the concepts of recycling, reducing and reusing (the three R’s) . It is a step-by-step programme whereby the school must set clear and definable goals in order to become an internationally recognised “Green School”. If and when these goals are reached, the school will be awarded a Green Flag from An Taisce.

Class 2BL are responsible for initiating the project as part of their CSPE studies and many other students from other years and classes have since joined the Green School Committee. This is not surprising, because the programme offers the opportunity to be involved in an exciting project which results in real changes in our school, our community and the world. We all have a part to play in protecting our environment and this is why the Green School Committee have been working so hard to encourage every member of the school community to play their part. These students have shown such enthusiasm in their efforts to make a difference and so deserve huge thanks and praise. School staff and tutors have been raising student’s awareness in the areas of global warming, pollution, the three R’s (reducing, reusing, and recycling) and stewardship. We would ask that at home you continue to assist the student’s in their development and understanding of such issues and values.

Thank you to those of you who completed surveys at the start of the year. The findings were very useful to the Green School Committee when conducting the initial environmental review. The results of this review highlighted a common desire within the school community to improve practices in the areas of litter and waste management.

So far, the results have been very good but we have yet to reach many of our goals. Litter levels within the school have been improved with the introduction of a Litter Warden programme which is currently being evaluated. Recycling and waste management are improving with the introduction of recycling bins in the hall. More bins are to be placed around the school in the coming weeks. Thank you to Mr. Collins’ woodwork classes who are in the process of constructing a compost heap and Mr. Nevin’s metalwork classes who were responsible for constructing the new bins for the school. Throughout the year various competitions and projects will encourage all students to support the Green School Project. Congratulations to our four winners from the Christmas Green School Poster Competition Jonathan Dunne, Enoch Opping, Daniel Balfe,and Fawwa Abdallah.