Eco-School Project

 

FREE COMPOST BINS FOR ELMSTEAD MARKET

We received a communication, from Elmstead Parish Council, that reads as follows:

 

Due to the closure of the St Osyth Tip Essex County Council have arranged free compost bins for householders who apply by February 25th, 2012. The time span does not allow the Parish Council to advertise this in UpMarket and so we are very grateful for the Primary School's help in publicising this scheme in the weekly newsletter.

 

You have to live in  Elmstead, or a neighbouring Parish, to claim one free 330 litre compost bin and need to order by e-mailing name, address and contact number to: contact.essex@essex.gov.uk or call 0845 603 7625 by  25th February 2012.

 

We understand that the bins will need to be collected from Martin's Farm (the closed Tip.)  However the Parish Council is trying to get the Elmstead bins delivered to the village for collection from a central point.

 

 

HEALTH AND SAFETY/ECO-SCHOOL/HEALTHY-SCHOOL MEETINGS

The Health and Safety/Eco-Team meet every Tuesday at 10.00, with the Headteacher, and complete an inspection of the school premises, as agreed with the Board of Governors.  This arrangement has been in place for a number of years and ensures that we monitor our Eco/safety status on a regular basis.  Termly meetings also take place, with representatives from the School Council.  However, feedback is now ongoing, with time during Headteacher's Assembly - every Thursday - set aside for this, as shown in our daily Assembly Log.

TUESDAY INSPECTION - 29th November, 2011: 

No inspection took place today as we discussed, with School Council representatives, the upcoming Eco-Flag renewal on 13th DEcember, at 09.30.

It was noted that...

  • Mrs Allwood had completed, with Class 3, the planting of trees donated by the Woodland Trust and added more Winter pansies to the planting tubs.  These extra plants had kindly been donated by Deans Nursery;
  • the recycling area was tidied and the vegetable patch weeded again, ready for the Winter;
  • Class 2 are visiting the outside classroom - before the end of term - and that yellow safety jackets must be worn, plus two members of the 'team' will come along as well;
  • a new gas cooker had been installed in the kitchen, offering more economic use of gas - hopefully!
  • Eco-Awards are now being given for creative use of recycling - such as making models and musical instruments.

BLUE PETER GREEN BADGE AWARD

In December, 2011, Jamie T received a letter from the Blue Peter team which read as follows:

Dear Jamie,

Thank you for sending us your picture and for telling us all about the Eco activities you do at school.  We can see that you've put a lot of work into it and liked it so much that we're awarding you a Green Blue Peter Badge, which is especially for Blue Peter viewers who care about the environment.  We hope you'll enjoy wearing it!

With best wishes from Helen, Barney and all of us at Blue Peter.

 

Please allow time for pictures to download!

Click HERE to see Dominic's model using recycled cardboard.

Click HERE to see Ollie's music shaker, made from scrap materials.

Click HERE for a picture of Class 3 planting tree saplings with Mrs Allwood.

Click HERE to see Class 3 weeding the vegetable patch.


 

Click HERE to read the minutes Wednesday, 16th November, at 09.00.

NOTE: Following the combining, last year, of the Eco-School/Health and Safety Committees, the combined committee now meets on a weekly basis - each Tuesday - reporting back to the school during Headteacher's Thursday Assembly.  Records are maintained in the Healthy and Safety Log, as well as the Assembly Log.

Click HERE to read the minutes of Wednesday, 2nd March at 14.45.

 

Here are some explanations, by Class 5, of how depleting the ozone layer cann affect the future of our planet:

THE OZONE LAYER

The Effects of Pollution on the Ozone Layer

by Charlie H:

People are breaking the ozone layer by all of this pollution, like:

  • cutting down trees;
  • cars using too much petrol;
  • people using to many deodorant and perfume;
  • using powerplants and smoking.

Soon, the ozone layer will break and then we will have too much heat.  It will be so hot that nothing will be able to live here.  Skin cancer will kill may people.  Fish are dying because their food is dying away. One day the sun will explode from doing too much work!

The Greenhouse Effect

by Jake A:

The ozone layer protects the earth, but if holes form in the ozone layer the heat will get through, and it will be so hot!  If the sun's heat gets through the ozone layer and hits the water, sea creatures will get killed and this will corrupt the food chain.

The Ozone Layer

by Molly:

The effects of pollution on the ozone layer:

  • The sun is coming through the holes because of using petrol and hair spray, and other things like that.
  • It can cause damage to your skin.  This is called skin cancer.
  • It can do a lot of damage to your eyes, because you are looking at the sun and the sun is becoming more powerful.

The Greenhouse Effect

by Georgia:

When you drive a car all the gas and petrol come out of the bottom of the car and go up to the ozone layer.  The gases from hair spray and deodorant also do this.  When we cut down trees it also affects it because trees give us oxygen to make us breath.  Ehen there are so many holes the ozone will burn away and we will burn!

 

COMPOSTING IN SCHOOL

A series of instructions, by Adam:

  • First you go round to the class that you are doing and collect the green compost bin.
  • Secondly, you go to the staffroom and collect the compost bin.
  • Then, you go to the school entrance.
  • Next, you press the exit button.
  • After that, you walk out of the school entrance, watching out for cars in the car park!
  • Then, you will see seven black bins.  You tip all the fruit and vegetables into the black bins.
  • You must water the inside of the bin before putting the lid back on.
  • Then, you put back the compost bins into the classrooms.
  • Finally, you go back to your classroom, which is Year 5.
  • Don't forget to wash your hands after!

GARDENING CLUB CALENDER - September/November, 2011:

  • Planting of trees supplied by Woodland Trust and replanting of tubs and boat, with winter pansies - led by Mrs Allwood.
  • Click HERE to see a photograph of the boat in full bloom!
  • Collection of leaves, general weeding and tidying up the school grounds.
  • Planting up new gardening area for Class R, built by Mr Corcoran. 
  • Click HERE to see a picture.

GARDENING CLUB CALENDAR - June/July, 2011: 

  • Following refurbishment of Wildlife Area, Gardening Club have been relaying the paths using recycled wood supplied by Mr Corcoran, following tree pruning.
  • Click HERE for a photograph of the new bridge.
  • Years R, 1 and 2 planted out all the tubs and the boat, with help from Mrs Allwood.
  • Following refurbishment of the Recycling Area, the greenhouse was tidied, although we were unable to plant any more vegetables as Mr Corcoran was fixing new fencing, levelling the area and creating suitable space for a compost heap.

GARDENING CLUB CALENDAR - May, 2011:

  • Year 2 sowed a wide variety of seeds in the school greenhouse, ready to plant out in the school grounds in June.  Miss O'Sullivan has organised a rota to ensure they are watered regularly
  • Gardening Club members have spent a number of lunchtimes tidying up the wildlife area and ensuring all the pathways are safe to use.  It is now open at lunchtimes, depending upon the weather
  • Year 4, along with Year 5, cleared the vegetable patch and planted potatoes.

Click HERE for picture 1 of Jessica's brilliant habitat homework.

Click HERE for picture 2.

Click HERE to read January 2010 Letter from Eco-School Chief Executive.

As of the 1st January, 2010, the following number of schools had achieved Eco-School status:


There are nine aspects of being an ECO-SCHOOL.  By clicking on the options below you can discover more!

Click HERE for Water...
Click HERE for Biodiversity...
Click HERE for Energy...
Click HERE for Global Perspectives...
Click HERE for Healthy Living...
Click HERE for Litter...
Click HERE for School Grounds...
Click HERE for Walk to School...
Click HERE for Waste...

Click HERE to read the minutes of Wednesday, 3rd February at 14.45.

 

Energy        

From September 2010, energy will be a compulsory topic for all Eco-Schools. Alongside this, we will they are also launching a new energy award to reward schools that are able to demonstrate the energy savings they have made.

Their aim is to showcase the fantastic work that all Eco-Schools have done to address energy reduction.  They will also start asking for our school Display Energy Certificate (DEC) number when when schools apply for Bronze, Silver and Green Flag awards.

More information will follow shortly.

Click HERE to read our Anti-Litter Policy.

Woodland Trust Project: Go to 'Noticeboard' and then the 'Events' dropdown to follow news of this exciting initiative, that now forms an essentiual part of our Eco-School and Healthy School approach......

The Woodland Trust are leading a whole school assembly on 1st March, 2010.  Parents associated with this project are welcome to attend.

Introduction:
As most of you will know, we are an Eco School which means that we are committed to making our school as sustainable as possible.  The children take part in recycling, re-using and reducing wherever possible and the theme of environmental awareness runs throughout our curriculum in all year groups.

The Team:
We have an enthusiastic Eco Team in our school, made up of pupils from Class 2 - Class 6, plus  Mr. Middleditch, Mr. Clare, parent representatives and a member of Tendring District Council.  We must also recognise the contribution of Mrs Paternoster (previously our Year 4 Teacher), who set up the Eco School project in the first place, leading us to Green Flag Status, before leaving us in July 2009 for the next stage of her teaching career.

Our Goal:
Our long term goal is to be as sustainable as possible in the way we operate as a school.  We are slowly but surely making steps towards this.  Our short term goal was to achieve Green Flag status, which is a very prestigious award within Eco School circles.  We achieved this at the end of the academic year (June 2009) and are now following a two year cycle before renewing our status, with a re-application posted in JUne, 2011.

Eco Awards:
One of the ways we encourage the children to be 'eco-friendly' is to bring in evidence that the values they learn at school are being put into practise at home.  This is usually in the form of a letter from parents, stating all the ways that their child helps the environment.  The child originally received a free reusable bag from Tendring District Council, to promote the use of reusable bags instead of plastic ones.  We were thinking of launching an initiative to see where people are using these bags, but decided instead to present Eco Awards for examples of recycling, such as making models out of scrap.

If you would like any information about our Eco School project, please see Mr Middleditch at school.

Things we have been doing recently:

  • The Health and Safety/Eco Team are still doing weekly inspections to check that we are all turning off our lights, closing doors and turning off electrical equipment when it's not being used
  • New plants are ready to go into the Quiet Garden and those tubs that are empty.  We are also planning to make a multi-sensory area with pots of plants that excite our senses!
  • We are close to completing redevelopment of the Wildlife Area, with just notices to be made, similar to those made by Mr Clare for the recycling area.
  • Click HERE to see the winner of the scarecrow contest! 

Exciting News... We have planted up our second vegetable patch!  Mr. Middleditch and some very helpful children in Key Stage 2 - during the Summer Term - spent hours digging, raking, watering and planting to create a very impressive raised bed.  Our first crop was a real success and now we look forward to seeing the vegetables grow over the next few weeks, as Autumn goes on and the days shorten.  Please do have a look, but ensure that you do NOT touch or walk across the plot as this will spoil all our hard work.

Remember to write to Mr Middleditch about why you should get an Eco Award!

Links to useful websites:

The Woodland Trust:  www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

Cherry Tree Primary School, Essex: www.cherrytree.essex.sch.uk/

Eco schools in Scotland: www.ecoschoolsscotland.org/    

British Council: www.britishcouncil.org/learning-world-may-2007-focus.htm

From 1st June 2009, ENCAMS (Environmental Campaigns), the parent organisation running Eco-Schools in England, officially changed its name to Keep Britain Tidy.

Since the organisation's inception over 50 years ago it has always used 'Keep Britain Tidy' in its public work on litter campaigns and in news stories - and still does.  This is a very strong brand name known by 84% of the population.  A new website www.keepbritaintidy.org has been launched which will also tell you more about their strategy, direction and services. The Eco-Schools website has not changed and can still be found at www.eco-schools.org.uk

The Eco-School initaitive was originally launched by Mrs Paternoster, and for historical purposes we are keeping this letter on our site.  Although the initaive has now moved on to other areas, it illustrates the position the school was in, back in 2008:

ECO-SCHOOL INITIATIVE

As part of our Eco-School Project, initiated by Mrs Paternoster, we encourage children to help the environment through recycling and reducing energy output.  With support from Tendring Council we award Eco-Friendly shopping bags - during our weekly Awards Assembly - to any child who puts forward a written explanation, signed by their parent/s, to say how they are helping the environment.  We have published the very first letters, which was handed in back in 2008:

23rd April, 2008

Dear Mr Middleditch,

This letter is to inform you that William and Rory have been doing a brilliant job to help keep the environment green.  Last weekend they made a special effort by planting lettuce and watering them with rain water collected in a tub in the garden.  They also removed weeds by hand (instead of using weedkiller).  As a family we also recycle everything, including using wrapping paper two or three times.  We also used old envelopes to send money to school.  The children recycle bath water.  William and Rory carry food back from the shop in reusable bags.  Sometimes, when they outgrow their clothes, they pass them on to their smaller brother.

We recycle foil, tins, plastic, paper and compost waste vegetation etc.  William and Rory sometimes help their dad to collect the recycling materials before they are taken away.  Old toys are rarely thrown out, because parts are sometimes used in other toys.

William and Rory deserve an award for being environmentally friendly.

Mrs Paternoster certainly agreed with this and Rory and William were commended for being Eco-Friendly.  As a result they received their official Tendring recycling bags at the Awards Assembly.