Many thanks again for facilitating the Junior Tidy Towns St Brigid’s Beach Clean. We had a super turn out but due to very cold winds and all kids running enthusiastically on to the beach we didn’t manage to get a photo all together to show it!
The parents and kids picked up a great amount of general rubbish, plastic, cigarette butts, and parents even picked up a lot of broken glass and metal. Huge thanks to everyone who turned up to help on what ended up being quite a cold day.
are being dumped illegally in developing countries.
Why does this happen?
In the 1990s, governments in the 1st world set up ways of ‘recycling electronic waste ‘ Many countries did not cope well with the large amount of e-waste they generated or with the hazards that were caused.
1st world countries began exporting the problem to developing countries where laws to protect workers and the environment are not as strong as in the 1st world.
These electronic goods made up of hundreds of different materials and containing toxic or poisonous substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and flame retardants.
Once in landfill, these toxic materials seep out into the environment, contaminating land, water and the air.
Devices are often dismantled and taken apart in primitive conditions. Those who work at these sites suffer frequent ill health.
Although it is legal to export discarded goods to poor countries if they can be reused or recycled, much is being sent to Africa or Asia under false pretences. Much is falsely classified as ‘second hand’ or ‘used’ good but really these are broken and beyond repair.
Following on from the Green School’s Committee meeting on Tuesday:
The committee would like to find out how many different nationalities are in our school and represent this information on a bar chart to be displayed on our notice board. A green school’s rep will go around the classes today with a sheet for all the class teachers to fill in.
There is an A3 poster competition for all green schools. Children depict what they would like Ireland to look like in the year 2040. This could be a good activity to do on Friday afternoon. Having a discussion about what a more ‘green’ Ireland might look like would be helpful before they start the poster. Closing date is 27th March. Prizes include a tablet and €500 euro for the winning school. Send finished posters to Room 8 to be posted
If everyone could have a bin and lunch monitor in their class to make sure the correct waste is being put into the correct bin. Please count how many children are bringing containers in their lunches instead of tin foil/ cling film. This doesn’t mean singling out children who have tin foil but instead praising those who have containers.
For as long as we can remember, every year at this time, students make Christmas decorations for the Wicklow County Council competition. It is an annual event, that is much anticipated and greatly enjoyed. The decorations are made from recycled materials. All entries are on display in the hall, except for one which has gone on to Wicklow County Council. These Christmas decorations made from recycled materials are all so different and show great creativity and ingenuity. The children had great fun making them. Well done to all involved and many thanks to Ms.McNally who co-ordinated the competition.
The aim of Green Schools is to increase students’ and participant awareness of environmental issues through classroom studies and to transfer this knowledge into positive environmental action in the school and also in the wider community.
Schools that have successfully completed all the elements of the programme are awarded the ‘Green Flag’. The award has to be renewed every two years. We have five Green flags so far and led by Ms. Saoirse Ryan and the Green Schools Committee, we are working towards our sixth.
