The Green School Committee has been hard at work this term, making significant strides in sustainability and environmental awareness. Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to:

Gardening

We’ve established a new gardening committee, and we’re excited to announce our plans!

Save the Date:
Thursday, 18th January | 1:00 – 5:00 PM
Big Garden Clean-Up Behind the Parents’ Room
All Hands on Deck—Big and Small!

The gardening committee is calling for volunteers to help transform the garden into a pleasant space for everyone. If you’re interested in joining the committee, please contact Ms Carton or Ms Byrne.

Composting

Two parents, Aoife and Emer, along with Ms Carton, participated in a 5-week composting course provided by Offaly County Council and led by Craig Benson, a master composter.

• New Leaf Cage: We’ve set up a new leaf cage to collect leaves and create compost for our garden.
• Food Waste: All food waste is now composted through our commercial brown bin. Next term, we plan to restart on-site composting with the addition of a wormery.
• Help Needed: We have gloves, a rake, and a fork available if anyone can assist with composting.

Plastic Reduction

We conducted a survey on plastic usage within the school and are actively working to reduce it.

• Awareness: A large sign in the PE hall encourages everyone to say “No” to plastic.
• Collaboration: We met with Jill Bradbury to explore ways to minimise plastic use, especially in school lunches.
• Home Support: We urge parents to send in healthy, non-plastic packaged food. Remember, plastic can take thousands of years to degrade. At current rates, there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2030. Reuse and recycle plastic whenever possible.

Walking to School

We always encourage walking, cycling, or scooting to school as often as possible.

Special Event:
Thursday, 21st December 2023
Walk to School with Teachers from Applegreen on the Clara Road

• Departure: 8:30 AM
• Join Us: Along the route at any point

Route Timing:

• Applegreen: 8:30 AM
• Roundabout: 8:34 AM
• Entrance to Carraig Cluain: 8:38 AM
• Srah Industrial Estate: 8:40 AM
• Knockowen: 8:41 AM
• Moorefield Cottages: 8:43 AM
• Moylena: 8:47 AM
• Maple Grove: 8:48 AM
• Redwood: 8:50 AM
• Dolans/Arden View: 8:52 AM
• Arden View Resource Centre: 8:56 AM
• Scoil Eoin Póil II Naofa: 8:57 AM
• St Joseph’s: 8:59 AM

Don’t worry, we’ll arrive in plenty of time for the Santa Dash around the school!

Re-Used Art Supplies Trolley

We’ve set up a trolley in the corridor outside Room 17 where students can add and take supplies as needed.

• What to Donate: Cardboard with a white side is particularly useful.
• Post-Christmas Supplies: After Christmas, consider sending in paper and cardboard, especially if it has a white side. Students can place these on the trolley if their teacher isn’t using them immediately.

Minimising and Separating Waste Properly

Remember the Five R’s:

• Reduce: Use less, buy less, and share what you can.
• Re-use: Use items again and again.
• Re-purpose: Find new ways to use old things.
• Repair: Fix what’s broken instead of buying new.
• Rot: Compost organic waste in the brown bin.

When you’re done with something, consider how you can use it again before discarding it. If it’s truly at the end of its life:

• Recycle: Clean and dry plastics, paper, and rolled-up tinfoil.
• Landfill: The rubbish bin should be your last resort.

Exciting News: We’ll kick off the new year with a classroom bin competition!