Green School

 

Our school is very proud of our Green Schools achievements to date. Having already been awarded three green flags, we are now striving very hard to earn our FOURTH Green Flag.

 

The theme for our first Green Flag was “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. The children became more aware of the amount of waste they produced, both in school and at home. They then learned about ways in which they could reduce this waste, recycle or reuse it. Over time significant reductions in the amount of rubbish produced each week were realised.
In order to achieve our second green flag the children’s attention was focused on energy use and conservation. Lights were used only when needed, doors were closed to keep in heat, while our vigilant energy monitors ensured we used energy wisely throughout the school.
Our third Green Flag was awarded for our work on water conservation when children became aware of the need to think and act wisely before wasting water needlessly.

  

 

 

The Search for our Fourth!

This year the children in our school are focusing on the Travel theme. The children composed slogans, created posters and blinged their footwear  which were then displayed throughout the school. Teachers also integrated "Sustainable Travel on the Journey to School" into their Art work, Science, Geography and English classes. Colourful, meaningful posters decorate our classrooms and corridors, inside and outside the school, even stretching down the school avenue. The children are being  taught to have a deeper appreciation of our environment and the negative impact modern lifestyle can have on our world..

 

 

 

 

 Walk on Wednesday

Walk to School Week is a Green-Schools Travel initiative that results in thousands of pupils, their parents and teachers walking to and from school, to promote the envirnomental, health, social and financial benefits of active travel on the school journey. Muire gan Smál Convent Primary School  joined thousands of students across Ireland  who took part in An Taisce Green-Schools’ National Walk to School Week 2014, which took place from May 12th to 16th.  

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Muire gan Smál Convent Primary School  decided to celebrate the week in our own unique way by walking to school on Wednesday 14th May, and thus launching our very first WoW Day, with the ultimate aim of increasing the number of students who make the school journey on foot during the week. Our school was declared a car-free zone during that day.   

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Green-Schools is committed to promoting walking on the journey to school as the mode of choice for families as a real alternative to the car. Walking to school is a great way to be active during the day as well as reducing traffic congestion at the school gates. We have really shown that we know how to make our school journeys greener and healthier this year by participating in this special week of awareness and action.By promoting walking during National Walk to School Week we have taken a real step towards making positive long-term changes to the way children in Claremorris area travel to school, making it a better environment for everyone!

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We are also running a 'Scores on the Door' competition within the school, whereby a tally is kept of every child in every class every day ,of who walks to school, and the class who has the most 'walkers' by the end of the week wins our prestigious Golden Boot Award for the week.

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We in Muire gan Smál Convent Primary School are committed to doing our part to promote sustainable travel and encourage our school to be an ‘Active School’. The ultimate aim of the Green-Schools Travel programme is to encourage students, parents and staff to walk, cycle, scoot, Park ‘n’ Stride, use public transport or car pool instead of using the private car on the school run. 

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We encourage all the children to walk to school up the avenue safely on the footpath. Lets keep our school environmentally healthy. Or in the words of the children - " Stop the talking and start the walking." "Loose the seat and use your feet" "A walk to school is the only way, a walk  to school keeps the carbon away." Come on everybody help us reduce our carbon footprint.