Green
School Page
Green Schools Committee in session
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Newsflash !
The Green
School's Committee is delighted to announce, that due to
the efforts of the entire Staff and Pupils of the school
to reduce our energy usage, An Taisce has decided to
re-designate St. Joseph's as a Green School, and has awarded
us yet another 'green flag'.
The flag will be presented to the
school at an awards ceremony in the An Taisce headquarters
in Dublin on the 27th.May '03
Congrats to all concerned!!!!
Green
School
Our School and the Environment
24th March 2003
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As part of our Green Schools programme this
year, we are concentrating on energy awareness and the need
to reduce our energy consumption.
To help heighten this awareness, we are designating
Wednesday 26th March a low energy day.
The children will be doing their bit in school
and you too can help at home. As you know, one of our biggest
energy drains is transport. It would help greatly to highlight
an area where we could reduce consumption, if where possible,
children could either walk or cycle to school. Failing this,
maybe some car pools could be organised for this day and
who knows, this could become a permanent arrangement.
Energy awareness is most important at home,
so please help us in our objective by making sure your children
are aware of energy saving practises in the home.
For some simple energy saving tips, log on
to the Green Schools section of the school Website at www.iosef.com
(under the heading ‘School Booklet’)
Remember, the more energy we use, the more
greenhouse gases we produce and our weather is bad enough
as it is!!!
Think globally, act locally.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. M. O’Callaghan ...........Mr. J.
Doyle
Principal .............................Green Schools Co-ordinator.
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click on the images to enlarge
20th march 2003
Energy Tips:
Low energy lighting.
Compact Flourescent Lights (CFLs) use 80% less electricity
than ordinary bulbs to produce comparable light –
and they last 8 times as long.
Water heating.
Saving hot water means saving energy and money. Take a shower
instead of a bath. Use ‘economy’ programmes
on your washing machine. Use ‘cool wash’ programmes
for delicate fabrics.
Energy-efficient appliances.
Modern appliances are designed to use less electricity than
older models. Newer washing machines and dishwashers have
‘economy’ programmes. ‘Jet spray’
type washing machines use less water and therefore less
electricity to heat.
Energy labelling.
Energy labelling of all new laundry and refrigeration products
is now obligatory. When shopping you will find energy information
labels on all these appliances. The energy label tells you
to compare how energy-efficient one model is against another.
The range is from ‘A’ the most efficient to
‘G’ being the least efficient. You will enjoy
ongoing long-term saving choosing the more energy-efficient
model.
Draughtproofing.
Up to 15% of heat escapes through badly fitting ext4rnal
doors and windows. Fitting draught excluders to eliminate
draughts is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to reduce
heat loss. Choose from self-adhesive foam strips, more durable
metal and plastic strips and brushes for the door.
Curtains.
Pull the curtains at night. Heavy lined curtains reduce
heat loss through windows.
Energy efficient cooking.
Use an electric kettle to boil water for cooking instead
of using the hob. Use a toaster instead of grill. Avoid
using the oven to cook one dish. Bake a few things at one
time. A microwave provides an efficient way of thawing,
heating the cooking food.
Appliances.
Energy is wasted if we don’t switch appliances off
when they are not in use. Switch off in rooms that are unoccupied.
Switch off the TV or stereo when you are finished using
them or turn heater controls down when rooms are warm enough.
If you need further information on energy consumption &
energy awareness log on to www.irish-energy.ie
www.esb.ie
St.
Joseph's was one of the first schools in Ireland to be designated
a 'Green School' in 1998.
To earn this title the pupil and teachers had to show they
were environmentally friendly in both attitude and deed.
The school aims to promote a caring and sensitive attitude
to our surroundings. This is done through our educational
programme and through various projects undertaken by teachers
and pupils. After a review of our policies by An Taisce
we were again designated a green school in 2000.
Some projects undertaken by our pupils:
1. Ongoing recycling of aluminium cans.
2. Collecting and recycling of plastic ringos.
3. Designing and making nest boxes to place around the school
grounds.
4. The creation of a school garden in which children have
an opportunity to grow vegetables organically.
5. The creation of a wildflower garden to help conserve endangered
species of wildflower.
6. The planting of a miniwood to give pupils the chance to
learn how woodland develops and to distinguish between native
and imported species.
7. Visits to the school by heritage and wildlife experts like
Paddy Madden author of 'Go Wild at School' and Dick Warner.
8. The school won the 'Area Award' in 'Esso Schools Wildlife
Challenge' in 1999 - 2000.
9. The Parents Council also take an active part, and have
provided the pupils with equipment for the school garden e.g.
trowels, seeds, bamboo.
10. Regular litter patrols in school, and a drive to reduce
amount of waste from children's lunches.
3rd.
Class
Digging the potatoes 2003
