Green Schools
What is the Green School Programme?
The Green School programme is an international environmental education programme, environmental management system and award scheme that promotes and acknowledges long-term, whole school action for the environment. Our Lady’s Secondary School is an active member of the Green School programme.
Our Green School initiative
Our Lady’s Secondary school is a green school and was awarded its first green flag in May 2013. Here in Our Lady’s, we are very aware of the environment and we recycle, reuse and reduce waste wherever possible. We have a very pro-active green committee who are always busy and innovative.
We began our green campaign by shredding old sheets of paper. We it regularly collected from the school and used as bedding for greyhounds. We also try to use recycled paper for photo-copying, we recycle all paper, cardboard and cans.
As a community, we in Our Lady’s take great pride in our environment and work hard to maintain a healthy, safe, green environment for all.
Litter Theme
The school was awarded with its first green flag in May of 2013.
Green Schools committee 2012-2013
Environmental Review
Our first achievement as a committee was to complete an environmental review and to carry out a litter and waste survey of our school. The aim of the survey was to assess the student’s perception of litter and waste in the school and evaluate our starting point on the road to achieving “Green Flag” status.
Transition Year Students
It is the job of the TY students to monitor and control the litter and recycling around the school through the following ways:
- They collect recyclable rubbish throughout the whole school and keep an account of how much they collect weekly.
- They monitor litter ‘Blackspot’ areas.
- They act as litter wardens.
- They organise ‘Spring Clean Week’ every April.
- They update posters and signs.
- And they raise awareness of the importance of recycling and keeping our school clean amongst the staff and students of the school
We believe that we can continue to do our day to day activities but on an environmentally friendly basis.
Litter and Waste:
Since participating in the Green Schools Initiative we have enforced the following:
- We strive to recycle everything we can
- Shred paper
- Chewing gum is banned
- Introduction of emails to teachers to cut down on the amount of paper being used
- Texting Teachers and parents on important issues
- Using the school App to notify parents on important issues
- Shared folders for both staff and students to cut down on handouts.
- The use of schoology by the staff. This allows us to pass on notes to students without having to print everything
- Fixed our photocopier to print from the staff computers double sided.
Slogan Competition
We have introduced more signs to increase recycling awareness. We held a slogan competition. The winner was Joseph Kennedy a second year student at the time. His winning entry was “It is vital to recycle”
Spring Clean Week
Every Spring both Ty groups take part in Spring Clean Week. This is a nationwide campaign which is run by An Taisce.
The TY groups take charge of organising, running and informing the whole school of the event.
The main work carried out is sweeping, cleaning, weeding and planting. This year the group helped Templemore Tidy Towns Committee in organising a Spring Clean down the town.
Energy theme
The green schools committee, with the support of the whole school, is hoping to earn its second green flag the theme of which is energy.
We are very pleased that our collective efforts are helping to save our environment.