GREEN SCHOOLS
Green-Schools in Ireland is operated and co-ordinated by the Environmental Education Unit
of An Taisce (FEE member for Ireland), in partnership with Local Authorities throughout the
country, is supported by the Department of Environment, Community and Local
Government, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and is sponsored by the
Wrigley Company Ltd and Irish Water. Green-Schools is a themed and seven-step
programme.
SEVEN STEPS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Green Schools Committee -The committee directs the operations of a school’s GreenSchools programme. The Green-Schools committee should be as representative of the
whole-school and as student led as possible. However, it is up to each school to
decide how their committee operates.
Environmental Review - Carrying out an environmental review helps the school to
identify its current environmental impact and highlights the good, the bad and the
ugly.
Action Plan – The purpose of producing an Action Plan is to break down the overall
goals/targets (identified in the review) into bite-size pieces. It should include:
 the necessary tasks,
 the people(s) responsible and
 a time frame for actions in order to achieve your goals/targets.
Monitoring and Evaluation - Step four involves monitoring and evaluating progress
and should be incorporated into the action plan. Results of monitoring should be
regularly updated and displayed. This has an important impact on maintaining
momentum. Also make sure that when targets are met, success is celebrated!
Curriculum Work - Step five involves integrating the programme into the curriculum,
either directly through science, civics and environmental classes or indirectly in other
subject areas through innovative teaching.
Informing and Involving: It is essential that the whole school is involved in, and the
wider community aware of, the schools Green-Schools programme. A Green Schools
noticeboard and a Day of Action are recommended.
The Green-Code is a statement of the objectives demonstrating the school’s
commitment to environmentally friendly actions.
THEMES
One of the key success factors of the Green-Schools programme is that it is a themed
programme. That is, schools undertaking the programme work through the seven steps one
theme at a time. The themes in sequence are:
1. Litter & Waste
2. Energy
3. Water
4. Travel
5. Biodiversity
6. Global Citizenship - Litter & Waste
7. Global Citizenship - Energy
Therefore, for a school to be working on the energy theme they must have completed the
seven steps for Litter & Waste and achieved their Green Flag. For a school to be working on
Water they would have to have gone through the seven steps with Energy and renewed their
Green Flag and so on.
The use of themes helps prevent schools from trying to deal with every aspect of their
environment at once which could be overwhelming. Furthermore, it allows schools to build
on their experience, expertise and best practice as they work from theme to theme. However,
as schools work from theme to theme they will realise that there is quite a bit of overlap
between the themes (e.g. recycling waste is great way of using less energy and water to
produce new products).
GREEN FLAG
21st May 2015
Congratulations to the Green Flag Committee 2014/2015 for achieving a great success in the
recent Green Schools Evaluation. We are working on the Water Theme for the 2014/2015
school year. Well done on all your hard work.
Green School Committee members are:
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Daniel Brody
Jason Dowling
Natasha Roche
Mark Kenny
Aiden Beal
Ava McNulty
Sam O’Connor
Kate McInerney
Amelia Braja
Seán Considine
Dara Rouine
Hannah Purtill
Eoin Leahy
Johnny Donovan
Adam Kenny
Two of our Green School Committee members Kate McInerney and Dara Rouine
accompanied by Mrs. Greene and Mrs. Collins went to Galway on 21st May 2015 and received
our third Green Flag from An Taisce at the Radisson Hotel. Well done to everyone!
23rd June 2015
Celebrations to mark the raising of our third Green Flag took place on the 23rd June 2015.
Eoin Leahy, 6th Class pupil and also a wonderful Green School member raised the flag on the
day. Parents, grandparents, friends and the local school community attended on the day.
Congratulations to all involved!
01/September 2015
We are starting our Travel Themed Green Flag this coming year and we are asking all
children to walk to school from the school carpark, some children are even cycling to school,
well done!