Tag Archives: green flag

Ennis insects are living it up with five-star treatment in a “bug hotel”, thanks to the efforts of local national-school children. Up to 200 students and 20 teachers in the Holy Family Junior School have created a hotel for insects, as part of the school’s bid for a fifth Green Flag. Creepy crawlies have what can only be described as luxury accommodation in a timber house, made from recyclable wooden pallets, under the direction of teacher, Triona Waters. Measuring approximately six-feet high by two-feet wide, the insect house is full of leaves and old pots to provide an ideal home for a variety of bugs. This environmentally-friendly initiative is one of the main planks of a project, which aims to teach young children, from the ages of four to eight, more about biodiversity and the wonders of nature. Teacher, Fiona Power explains that this latest project started last September and will continue up to June 2017. Because the children involved …

Coláiste Muire in Ennis will launch its ‘Fresh Air Friday’ initiative this Friday, as part of efforts to secure a Green-Schools Travel Flag. The Travel Flag encourages students, parents and teachers to walk, cycle, car-pool, Park N’ Stride or use public transport on the school run. Staff , as well as parents of students being driven to school, will be leaving the car at home or a distance away to participate in the initiative, which is being facilitated by An Taisce Green-Schools and supported by Clare County Council. Having saved 2,650,000 litres of water from 2011 to 2014 while working on the Green-Schools Water Flag, one of three Flags held by Coláiste Muire, the school is now working on securing the Travel Flag. “At present over 65% of their 860 pupils at Coláiste Muire are arriving to school in a car, so the school has taken on the Green-Schools Travel flag with great enthusiasm,” commented Róisín Garvey, travel education officer …

Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, John Crowe returned to his alma mater last week to unfurl the school’s fifth Green Flag. He was assisted in hoisting the flag by Aoibheann Kennedy and Emma O’Connor, members of the Green Schools Committee. For a number of years now, Sixmilebridge National School has been participating in the Green Schools initiative, which encourages schools, pupils and families to learn about waste, conservation and sustainability. Every two years or so, they explore a new theme in order to apply for the renewal of their Green Flag. The theme for this year, their fifth Green Flag, was biodiversity and, through the biodiversity theme, students learned how they can all play a big part in protecting the natural world. Two senior members of the Green Schools Committee, Saoirse Downes and Aoibhe Ward Murphy, spoke on behalf of the committee. Principal Gareth Heagney acknowledged the hard work, planning and organisation in receiving this Green Flag. He congratulated all …

Tubber National School received their fourth Green Flag last week, at a ceremony in the Radisson Hotel in Galway. The theme of the flag was travel. The children were very conscious that for every 1km journey in a car, 13 balloons of CO2 are released into the atmosphere. To reduce the amount of CO2, the children decided to come to school in a more eco-friendly way. This included travelling by bicycle, by walking and by park and stride. Some children also came to school by carpooling with other families. With help from Roisin Ni Ghairbhith, An Taisce Green Schools officer for County Clare, the children used incentives such as a Golden Boot award, to encourage all the children in the school to take part. The school also received their 10th Discover Primary Science and Maths award this week. They are only one school of 16 in the country that have received 10 such awards. As part of this initiative, the …

Four Clare primary and secondary schools have been awarded green flags for the first time bringing to 100 the number of local schools now holding the international award for environmental action. Run by An Taisce in partnership with local authorities throughout Ireland, the Green-Schools award scheme is an international environmental education programme and management system that acknowledges long-term, whole school action for the environment. St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in Shannon; Coore NS, Kilkishen NS and Scoil Mhuire in Meelick were presented with their very first green flag at a special An Taisce Green Schools Awards ceremony held in the Radisson Hotel in Galway recently. A further 32 schools successfully renewed their Green Flags following work on  new themes including energy, water, travel, biodiversity and global citizenship litter/waste. The schools include: Clondrinagh NS; Úlla Beag Preshool, Killaloe; Doolin NS.; Scoil Mhainchín, Ennistymon; Ennis Educate Together NS; St John Bosco Community College, Kildysart; St Senan’s Primary School, Kilrush; Lakyle NS, Whitegate; Moyasta …