GREEN SCHOOLS
Green-Schools is an international environmental education programme which acknowledges long-term, whole school action for the environment.” “The aim of Green-Schools is to increase students’ and participant awareness of environmental issues through classroom studies and to transfer this knowledge into positive environmental action in the school and also in the wider community. Schools that have successfully completed all the elements of the programme are awarded the ‘Green-Flag’.
(www.greenschoolsireland.org)
As many of you are aware our school was awarded with its first green flag this year. This was the culmination of much hard word and co-operation between home and school. Although we have this flag, it is constantly under review. So we encourage everybody to be mindful of the 3 R’s
REDUCE
RE-USE
RECYCLE
The second theme in the Green Schools programme is Energy.
Students are being taught about many ways in which fuel consumption can be reduced in school and at home. Simple things like making sure the lights are switched off when a room is not in use; when the heating is turned on, to close the doors and maybe switching to energy saving light bulbs.
As with the programme for Litter & Waste there are four steps to be followed:
- Analysis - carry out an audit to see where energy is being wasted.
- An Action Plan - Find solution
- Measuring Success - compare energy bills from similar times of the year
before and after the plan is implemented - Maintenance - Regular monitoring
