St. Bernadette’s Senior National School has successfully achieved 6 green schools flags in the areas of litter and waste management, energy conservation, water conservation, travel and transport and Biodiversity. Our children and teachers work very hard and always rise to the challenge! As always it is a great team effect from all the children and teachers alike. Green Schools is an enjoyable experience!!
Our green schools committee is made up of teachers and pupils. Each committee member is encouraged to voice their ideas and finally to report back to their class teachers. Their enthusiasm is great!
Meetings are held in the P.E. hall and targets are discussed.
This year we are going for our 4th green flag which is for sustainable modes of transport. We have been working with Caterina Mc Namara from An Taisce, who helps us to learn about our environment and how we can protect it. We have been focussing on cycling, walking, running, jogging, scooting and flicking our way to school. When this is not possible we try to carpool which means we get a lift from or give a lift to someone so we are using one car instead of two for the same journey. We have also been focussing on parking and striding. This means we can get dropped off a few minutes away from school and walk the rest of the way.
Constant monitoring and evaluating of progress in St. Bernadette’s S.N.S. takes place as follows:
- At all staff meetings the green schools coordinator reports on the progress of green schools themes and in particular the current theme of biodiversity. She applauds positive results and makes recommendations in conjunction with the staff where necessary.
- Progress reports from class representatives (3rd – 6th) at all green schools meetings.
- Publishing results of surveys on green schools notice board.
- The Green Schools Committee feel that though posters, slogans, assembles, intercom notices and class announcements, the students and staff are most definitely more aware of the importance of recycling and that our actions may have a positive/negative impact on our climate.
Congratulations to St. Bernadette’s S.N.S. as they have received their sixth green school’s flag!
We have been working hard on the theme of Biodiversity for the past few years and our efforts paid off in May when two representatives from the green schools committee were invited to the Helix in Dublin along with two teachers to be presented with the green flag! It was a great day out and the children thoroughly enjoyed it. Throughout the school year the parent’s association and volunteers from the community have been working extremely hard on clearing out and tidying up the school’s wildlife garden and planting garden. A sincere thanks to them and for their dedication to our school.
Funding was applied for, and graciously received, from Department of Rural and Community Development through South Dublin County Local Community Development Committee to purchase litter pickers, gloves, refuse bags , markers, paints and art paper to make posters.
We have achieved green flags for:
FLAG 1: responsible litter and waste disposal
FLAG 2: energy conservation
FLAG 3: water conservation
FLAG 4: travel
FLAG 5: biodiversity which is the variety of all living things.
FLAG 6: biodiversity
We have been doing lots of planting of bulbs, plants and trees.
We also made bird feeders from orange peels to put bird feed into and hang on the trees outside.
We created a new eco system – a bug hotel. This is to encourage a variety of insects and bugs. We have packed it with twigs, stones, ceramic plant pots and loads more.
As a whole school activity, we created bee bombs made from compost and wild flower seeds. We threw these into the corner of the school yard under the trees and we can’t wait for them to grow in the Spring.
Clare, a green schools assessor from South Dublin County Council, visited us on the 15th October to see all our great work. We were awarded our 5th green flag in April 2019.
