Green School Flag
The Green Schools Committee at St. Oliver Plunkett National School are working for their eighth green flag on the theme of Global Citizenship – Marine Environment. Each class from first to sixth have two representatives on the Green Schools Committee. We are revising the Marine Environment theme and investigating how pollution affects the marine environment as well as what we as a school can do to help prevent this. The most obvious global link to the Marine Environment theme is Climate Change and its effects on the marine wildlife and ecosystems. We are looking at the problems associated with Climate Change and how they impact on people all over the world. Some of the impacts of climate change are habitat loss, heat stress, change in rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
Themes relating to Litter and Waste, Water, Travel and Biodiversity are constantly reviewed. We continue to monitor the use of energy in our school throughout the year. Tips are shared on making an improvement in energy management at home and at school. We have Walk to School Weeks, Feet First Friday and The Walking Bus to reduce energy consumption. Energy Busters conserve energy throughout the school at break time by turning off the lights. Litter rotas ensure our school is litter free. We encourage biodiversity in our school grounds and around the village of Blackrock. We have also taken part in the Think before you flush campaign which aims to help reduce water consumption and raise awareness of how we might be unaware of how we might be polluting our waters.
Our Marine Environment motto is:
S.O.S Save Our Seas
To promote active global citizenship, the Green Schools Committee held a cake sales with the help of the Parents’ Council to help children in need throughout the world. The proceeds were divided between UNICEF, Lesbos refugee camp in Greece, Trócaire, Womens Aid, Dundalk and St. Vincent de Paul, Blackrock. Dr. Suzanne Carter, from Blackrock who has worked in Lesbos, shared her experience of working with refugee children with the pupils in our school.
In theme with Marine Environment, we have been organising trips down to the priest’s beach to help the Tidy Towns keep the beach clear of litter and waste. the Green Schools Committee alongside different classes have made trips down to the beach to clean it and keep it litter free. they were provided with buckets, pickers and gloves to help them in this job.
Blackrock Tidy Towns continue to support and advise us with environmental issues and gardening. We are proud to be living in Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town!
Beach Clean
