Green School News 2023/2024
The Big Travel Challenge
Green Schools Ireland has organised the Big Travel Challenge, a 10 day event, starting on Monday, 4th March until Friday, 15th March. We would like to see as many pupils as possible using sustainable transport getting to or from school every day during the challenge. The two Ava's in 6th class have made the following presentation to let you know how you can travel to school:
Everyday the Green School committee will write down how everyone is travelling to school. If you are using Park n Stride please try to be at least 500m from the school (Tesco, the Marshes, the Longwalk, TSM Electrics, The Railway) . The aim is to keep cars away from the school.
We would like you to take a photo of you walking, scooting, cycling, using the bus to go to school so we can make a big display and put on the website. Take a photo, open up your email and attach the photo onto the email saying your name and class. Send the email to:
Anyone who uses sustainable transport during the challenge will be entered into a raffle. The more you use sustainable transport then the more times you are entered. There will be a prize of an Easter Egg for someone in each class that uses sustainable transport. We might try and organise a big group event on the second week. Please take up the Challenge!!
Clothes Collection Update
On 7th February, the van from WeBuyClothing.ie came and collected all the clothes left into the school. We are delighted to announce that 406kg of clothes were brought in and this meant that 203 euro was raised for the school. Thanks to everyone who donated clothes. Here are some photos of the Green School Committee gathering the clothes to be placed in the WeBuyClothing van:
Check out our new Green School committee members! Their job is to inform their classes about upcoming environmental events, to help with environmental issues in the school, to promote being green and to come up with new ideas.
Our new committee will help us work towards our goal of achieving our next green flag of Global Citizenship Litter and Waste.
Upcoming events:
2nd Class will be taking part with the Picker Pals programme. More details to follow shortly.
Climate Action Week: 16th October - 20th October
The aim for climate action week is to make everyone more aware about what could happen to our world if we don't take action about looking after it. Here are the links to some student friendly climate action videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzcGTd8qWTg&t=13s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqd20tdncg&t=43s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHrFBOUl6-8&t=546s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6zW43U7yqM&t=10s
With a link also to some games designed by NASA to aid climate change understanding: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/menu/play/
The green school committee members will be creating their own report on the facts about climate action. Watch this space!
Also, Green Schools Ireland have highlighted a number of books that may of interest to pupils to read and learn about climate action. Click on the link to learn more: https://greenschoolsireland.org/global-goals-book-club/global-goals-book-club-goal-13-climate-action/
Planting Daffodil Bulbs
On Monday, 23rd October, Mrs Duffy and some Green School Committee members planted some daffodil bulbs at the main entrance of the school. Thanks to Vincie, our caretaker, for pre-digging the area for us so we could get the bulbs planted. Looking forward to seeing the daffodils in bloom in the spring!
National Tree Day was on Thursday, 4th October. This year the spotlight is on the Hazel tree and we got a free hazel sapling sent to the school. On Friday, 20th October, Mrs Duffy and the Green School Committee members from 3rd class (Éabha, Ayanda and Hallie) planted the sapling in a pot and left it in the internal school garden to grow. We will leave the sapling there until the spring and then find the sapling a new home on the school grounds. Here are the 3rd class girls planting our sapling:
Information about National Tree Day can be found on the website www.treeday.ie Some classes went on nature walks around the school and surrounding area looking at trees on that day. Here are some photos of 2nd Class out and about in Ice House Hill Park looking at the trees.
Also, Mrs McManus's 4th class and Ms Galligan's 2nd class coloured in the collaborative art picture that renowned artist Fatti Burke illustrated for tree week. We'll take photos when we get it displayed in the school.
National Walk to School Week
Lots of pupils made a huge effort to walk to school for National Walk to School week. We were delighted that so many pupils made the effort to walk to school on Wednesday, the National Walk to School day. We had three meeting points on the day so that pupils could walk together in a large group. The meeting places were: TSM Electrics on the Ecco Road, Greenacres Carpark and Priorland Gardens. The groups were joined by the teachers, Mrs McManus, Ms Maguire, Mrs Duffy, Ms McKeown, Ms Crilly and Mrs Murphy. We had 82 pupils walking in the groups (with some brothers and sisters joining in too!) and a further 21 pupils making their way to school by themselves. We did a raffle of all girls that walked to school during the week and awarded 10 Homework Passes to a girl from each class. They were: Gabriela Elena (2nd), Liliana McManemy (2nd), Mariam Ahmed (3rd), Ava Sexton (4th), Theana Campbell (4th), Maya MacArie (4th), Angel Anta Gkravali (5th), Ruby Moran (5th), Ava Pope (6th) and Carly Grimes (6th). The Golden Boot was awarded to the class with the best percentage of walkers on the National Walk to School Day which were Mrs Murphy's 5th class with 72% of the pupils walking on Wednesday. Here are Golden Boot winners!
Here are the photos of all the girls who walked to school on the National Walk to School Day:
TSM Electric Group:
Greenacres Car Park Group:
Priorland Gardens Group:
Walking by Themselves Group:
Mrs Duffy & the Green School Committee