Our Journey to the Water Flag: Caherelly N.S.
We are currently in the second year of our Water Theme, working hard to earn our second Green Flag! Applying for a Green Flag involves a rigorous seven-step process. By doing "little jobs daily," our committee and students are making a massive splash in water conservation.
Step 1: Green-Schools Committee:
Our leadership team consists of 40 dedicated students from Infants through 6th Class. We meet monthly to discuss our progress, plan new initiatives, and ensure our school stays eco-friendly.
Step 2: Environmental Review:
To understand our impact, we conducted a school-wide Water Audit. We mapped out every tap and toilet, surveyed classes about their water habits at home and in school, and analyzed our baseline meter readings to see exactly where our water goes.
Step 3: Action Plan:
We turned our data into "Water Action!"
Key highlights include:
Installing a water butt to collect rain for our garden and outdoor play.
Art Clean-up Basins: Providing basins to all classrooms to prevent taps from running during art cleanup.
Leak Detectives: Our committee regularly patrols the school to spot drips and leaks before they waste a drop!
Step 4: Monitoring and Evaluation:
We don’t just set goals; we track them! Committee members keep logs of tasks and survey results. We monitor our water meter readings regularly to ensure our consumption is dropping and that our "Leak Detective" work is paying off.
Step 5: Curriculum Work:
Water isn’t just an extra activity; it’s part of our learning. From Science experiments on the water cycle to Geography lessons on local resources like Lough Gur, environmental awareness is woven into every classroom.
Step 6: Informing and Involving:
We believe in spreading the word!
Action Day: In March, our committee leads an Action Day featuring water-themed experiments and presentations for all classes.
Community Links: We have an upcoming visit to the Clareville Water Treatment Plant to see how our local water is managed & a visit to our local water scheme with Mike Fitzsimons, the chairperson.
Step 7: Green Code: Our Green Code is the heart of our mission. It’s a simple promise that every student at Caherelly N.S. makes to protect our planet.
"Drip Drop Drip Drop, Wasting Water has to Stop!"
