2015-16 Theme: Biodiversity

Preparing for SPRING!

After lots of hard work we are ready for some growth, just need sunshine and warmth!

February 2016

Green Schools Newsletter – February/March, 2016

· Our insect hotel is now completed and pictures will be put up on our school website over the coming weeks.

· 3^rd – 6^th class have been busy weeding the sensory garden to tidy it up and we are now sowing some flowers in the garden.

· Due to the very high standard of entries for the competition about ‘My Favourite Animal’ we have decided on a winner and a runner up from each class;

- Junior Infants: Millie Kennedy-Murphy & Conor Gormley.

- Senior Infants: Sarah Murphy & Megan Murphy.

- 1^st Class: T.J. Kelly & Hannah Kenny

- 2^nd Class: Daria Cygan & Tayler Byrne-Travers

- 3^rd Class: Kellie Cloke & Abbie Murphy

- 4^th Class: Leah Sweeney & Ellen Dobson

- 5^th Class: Ríona Mahon & Jacqui Kehoe

- 6^th Class: Aoife Murphy & Paraic Doyle

· Well done to everyone for taking part in this competition – pictures of all entries will be on our school website in the coming weeks.

· The green schools committee are visiting each class this week to show them which bins their rubbish must go in i.e. recycling/non-recycling/compost.

January Newsletter

Green Schools Newsletter – January, 2016

· The Green Schools committee have been busy this month making a new insect hotel in the garden to attract more mini-beasts to the area. The committee have brought in slates, stones, twigs, sticks, bricks, straw and pipes to decorate the hotel.

· We would like to remind you that closing date for the ‘Be Water Smart’ competition is Wednesday 10^th of February. Please get your entries in before that date.

· We are having a competition in February for the whole school and one winner will be picked from each class. All you have to do is the following;

- Infant classes: Write 1-2 sentences about your favourite animal and draw a picture of that animal. (parents can assist)

- 1^st- 6^th class: Write 6-8 sentences about your favourite animal and draw a picture of that animal. Tell us all you know about that animal e.g. what it looks like, its colour, where it lives, what it eats/drinks, what it likes to do, why this is your favourite animal etc..

- Ms. Sinnott will give sheets to each class for this competition and she will collect sheets before 26^th February.

· Thank you all for bringing in batteries for recycling. A battery recycle box will be placed in every classroom so if you have any more batteries to bring in you can do so throughout the year.

9th December 2015

Our Green Code

2015-16

Theme: Biodiversity

Well done to Conor Farrell 3^rd class, whose entry won this year’s Green Schools Code competition.

Our new code is:

“Biodiversity is every living thing,

So stop the pollution and respect the world we live in."

Update December, 2015

We have had a fantastic response to the Wexford County Council 'Christmas Decoration Competition', here are some photographs of the numerous entries received. On Friday we will be announcing those that have been chosen to go forward.

Well done and thank you to everyone for entering.

Also at assembly next Friday we will be announcing our Green School Slogan for 2016, again thanks to everyone who entered and well done.

Green Schools Newsletter – November, 2015.

The Green Schools committee would like to thank everyone for the great effort that was made with costumes for our Halloween fancy dress in school. The winners for the best costumes using recycled materials were;

Lily Doyle (Junior Infants), Amy Cloke (Senior Infants), T.J. Kelly (1st class), Lauren Kiely (2nd class), Kellie Cloke (3rd class), Marty Byrne (4th class), T.J. Kelly (5th class) and Tracey Furlong (6th class). Well done everyone!

We would like to remind everyone about our slogan competition for our new green schools theme ‘Biodiversity’. The closing date for entries is Friday, 27th November. Prizes will be given to the top three slogan winners.

Wexford County Council are having a ‘Christmas Decoration Competition’. The challenge is to make a Christmas decoration of your choice out of recycled materials e.g. egg shells, cardboard, newspapers, plastic and glass bottles, tin cans, milk/juice cartons etc.. The closing date for this competition is Monday, 30th November. Please make sure to put your name and class on your decoration and give to Ms. Sinnott before the end of November.

Our committee are busy doing spot checks in classes at lunch time making sure lights/laptops/taps are turned off and that people are putting the right rubbish into the right bins.

We have just finished drawing up a habitat map of the school grounds. This map is on the green schools notice board in school and it will be put on our school website very soon which is kilmyshallns.com

On the map we have drawn our sensory garden, the insect hotel, various trees, bushes and hedges around the school, raised beds, water butt, compost/recycle/non-recycle bins etc..

Please also note that our monthly green schools newsletter will be put on our school website for parents to view. You can find it under the headings ‘Green Schools’ and ‘2015-2016 Theme: Biodiversity.’

Green Schools Newsletter – October, 2015

Ø Our Green schools committee had been formed for this school year and our members are; Ryan Walsh (1^st class), Aoife Byrne (2^nd class), Gearóid Maher and Sarah Kenny (3^rd class), Marty Byrne and Ellen Dobson (4^th class), Ciarán Whiting and Ríona Mahon (5^th class) Ella Keane and Kyle Plunkett (6^th class), Mr. Finnerty, Ms. Sinnott and Mrs. Dillane.

Ø Congratulations to the new committee and we would like to thank every pupil in the school for the great work that they put into colouring a picture, writing a poem or writing all they know about biodiversity.

Ø The theme for the next two years is ‘Biodiversity’. This refers to the huge variety and variation of life that surrounds us. It is essential in keeping the environment healthy and fit for human life. Biodiversity is important to us as it gives us the air that we breathe. Different species of plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms provide us with food, medicines, fuel building materials, fibre for clothing and industrial products.

Ø This year our aim is to increase awareness of the importance of biodiversity and for pupils and staff to come up with ways in which we can help biodiversity. We will be working on incorporating biodiversity around the school grounds e.g. planting flowers, making bird boxes, investigating habitats, examining food chains, developing a new green school code, compiling a habitat map and species survey, finding out about species specific to the local area.

Ø Pupils in each class will be getting involved in various topics linked to biodiversity throughout the year e.g. making bird tables/boxes, learning about animal families and the structure of plants, studying habitats and species, designing a poster to promote biodiversity, creating a new slogan for biodiversity.

Ø All previous Green Schools themes will be revisited and members of our committee will be doing weekly spot checks in classrooms on the following; litter and waste, energy and water.

Ø We had a huge success with our ‘Clothing Recycling Drive’ fundraiser for our school which was held recently. Over 200 bags were donated and we would like to thank everyone that contributed.

Ø Our ‘Halloween Walk’ will take place this Friday at 1.30pm. A small prize will be given to a child in each class that makes a special effort in using recyclable materials when making his/her costume.

Green School Committee 2015-16