The school has had an active ECO Council for a number of years. The Eco Council has led the way in terms of getting us on our bikes with the Sustrans Challenge, guiding us in reducing our carbon footprints as well as helping us all to reduce, reuse and recycle.
We want to reduce the negative impact on the environment, create a better learning environment and introduce topics for learning that underpin the ideas and concepts of sustainability with practical actions that will make the school more sustainable in what it does and what it teaches.
The school has been awarded ECO Flags in 2015 and in 2017. The school will reapply this year for its third flag. The school has maintained its ECO Drive and it has produced the evidence to show that it has taken on other ECO initiatives and successfully implemented them. Credit goes to Mrs McElwaine, Mrs Irwin and Mr Wilson and the amazing ECO Committee!
Our carbon footprint is the amount of carbon produced by all of our activities. Did you know that producing the electricity that powers our iPad or computer game may be putting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? Carbon dioxide is given off in emissions from your car or bus. You can think of your carbon footprint as a measure of your impact on the environment. Having a small carbon footprint is good. Using less energy reduces our carbon footprint. An added advantage of using less energy is it can save money too!
So what have we been doing?
- Active Travel: Sustrans Active Challenge… bike it… scoot it… walk it… and transport topics
- Looking at where our food comes from?
- Traffic Congestion in Lisnaskea; traffic surveys
- Curriculum links with transport
- Cycling Proficiency Scheme
Our school grounds provide a wonderful opportunity to introduce children to the natural environment and to biodiversity. The children have been learning about the amazing variety of living things on our planet - from wildflowers and insects to mammals, reptiles, trees and birds. They are beginning to acquire an understanding of the habitats in which these living things are to be found.
Pupils study the following locally:
- Pond Habitat
- Woodland Habitat
- Lough Shore Habitat
- Wildflower Habitat
- Bird Watch
- Fermanagh Grassland habitat
- Study of life processes
- Plant and animal classification
- Bees in our locality and pollination
The school community continues to work together to increase awareness of energy issues and change behaviour to improve the energy efficiency within our school and at home. We monitor the units used to heat and provide light in the school. We also monitor the electricity produced by our PV solar panels. We have produced graphs from our data and reviewed the figures. We evaluate and review our findings.
Some of our energy saving activities are:
- Lights off!
- Power Down Fridays
- Using our Solar Panels
- Monitoring energy use
- Energy Certificates
We installed solar photovoltaic panels (PV) in 2007 to help reduce energy costs.
We bring in our old clothes and they are recycled. It is good to know that our old clothes are of use to others. We ask the local businesses, churches, community organisations to support us. Did you know that our school uniform is worn by a school in Zambia, Africa? It is good to see our old school uniform being reused. We have tried hard to focus on waste prevention.
Some of the activities include:
- Segregation of our Waste
- Reduce Reuse Recycle
- Cash for Clobber Collection
- Moat Uniform in Africa
- Visits to Recycling Centres
- Making items from Junk
- Lunch- only taking what we will eat and reduce waste
- Using both sides of paper; using our whiteboards
We have magnificent grounds which have been developed to allow our pupils to explore, learn and play. We have a green field and an extensive outdoor play trail for lots of exercise; raised beds for vegetables, an orchard, a herb garden, willow dome, story-telling chair and horseshoe seating, an amphitheatre, and an eagle nest swing. We are currently erecting a polytunnel.
Some of our activities include:
- Growing our own Herbs and Vegetables
- Annual Earth Days
- Garden Parental Involvement
- Weather Surveys
- Hatching Chicks
- Walk to School Weeks
We have developed and use our grounds extensively. The grounds are bright and cheerful and have a positive impact on pupil behaviour and attitudes. The pupils want to care for the grounds. Parents and grandparents are also invited into school on Earth Day to help out. The pupils make their own compost. They purchase plants for the garden and seek to find ways to improve it.
The latest aspect has been the erection of a polytunnel This is a current project and we look forward to growing our plants from seed. We seek to have lots of lessons outside doing mathematics trails, writing poetry etc. Pupils also undertake visits in our locality.