What is Green-Schools?

We, the students of Scoil Ruain, all know that we, the Green-Schools Committee of Scoil Ruain, focus on:

• litter management,
• energy conservation

and are currently working our way towards our third Green Flag dealing with water uses and conservation.

Students on a recent trip to the water treatment plant of Sth. Tipperary Co. Council in the Galty Mountains.

But, above all, the Green-Schools programme is a Europe-wide project designed to encourage and acknowledge whole school action for the environment.

It is designed to make environmental awareness and action an intrinsic part of the life and ethos of a school for all its pupils.

In Ireland it's administered by An Taisce and supported locally by Tipp S.R. Co. Council.

The Green-Schools Committee of Scoil Ruain was set up in January 2003.

It composed of students, care-taking staff and teachers and with meetings every 2/3 weeks during lunchtime it worked its way towards achieving its first Green Flag in May 2006.

Members of Scoil Ruain Staff receiving our first green schools flag award at An Taisce headquarters in Dublin.

Last May Scoil Ruain was awarded a Display Certificate in recognition of the Energy Audit that Tipperary Energy Agency (TEA) carried out on the school. In receiving this, Scoil Ruain became the first school in Ireland to have been awarded this Display Certificate.

Just before the summer the Committee took part in tidying Killenaule as part of the Tidy Towns initiative.

Green Schools Committee members of Scoil Ruain with their

co-ordinator Ms. Moloney participating in The National Spring Clean 2007

Our Green Schools' Committee also took a trip to a water treatment plant in preparation for work on the third Green Flag.

We are now fully aware of the process water goes through when being treated so now it's just up to us, the Green-Schools Committee to spread the word to other students on how best to conserve water.

The request for new members was met with great enthusiasm from this year's 2007/08 First Years. We have already had our first Green-Schools meeting of this school year and have assigned jobs to both new and old members to ensure we start as we mean to go on.

But nobody is an island, therefore, the Green-Schools Committee could not do all this work on their own. It is a school-wide effort. Students are encouraged not to drop litter and if they see that litter has been dropped then they are encouraged to pick it up.

Posters have been put up around the school reminding students to be energy efficient and stickers have been put on light switches to remind students and teachers to turn off lights as they exit rooms.

As a Green Flag school we need to continue to comply with all topics already assessed under the programme.

So remember, by just making the extra effort to turn off a light switch or to pick up some litter, you will be making a big difference to the environment and the school.

Wini Hannigan. (Green Schools' Committee P.R. person)