Low Energy Day

On the 23^rd of October we had a low energy day in our school. Prior to this day we had a meeting with the green flag members to discuss what our low energy day would entail.

It was agreed that low energy meant little or no energy being used. We looked at the possibilities of what we could ask classrooms and teachers to do within reason.

It was decided that we would ask the teacher s and children to

• Switch off all the lights in all the classrooms
• Switch off all c.d players, interactive whiteboards and computers.
• All teachers would be asked to bring their tea to school in a flask to eliminate appliances being used in the staff room.
• All photocopying to be done the day before.
• Intercom only to be used once that day to announce the start of low energy day.
• Children to be encouraged to walk to school.
• Survey to be taken in classes to see what form of transport was most commonly used.
• Turn down heating in classrooms within reason

After putting our ideas towards the other teachers on staff, we found them very co- operative but worried about not using lights all day. They agreed to get by without computers and appliances but as it was the middle of October and weather very dark classes would not function at all.

As a committee we re convened and decided to adjust one of our objectives for the day to a low energy hour where no light was used. We thought it would be exciting to count down the turning off of the lights on the intercom. Our one chance to use the intercom that day.

Once we had our decisions made we drafted posters and displayed them around the school. The green flag members went around to the classrooms and announced the ideas for the day to all classes.

The day before the low energy day the green flag members went around again and reminded everyone of low energy day.

Visit to Wind Farm

On Thursday last we visited a wind farm in Knockshegowna. We learned many things about wind energy and how it is so important in the world today.

Green Flag for Energy Conservation

Scoil Iosef Naofa is currently working towards obtaining the Second Green Flag for Energy Conservation. Please find below our Action Plan. 

Action	Group responsible	Time frame
Design posters to promote the results of the energy audit and put up on green schools notice board.	Green School’s committee	Within the next two weeks
Organise a “ switch it off “ campaign with posters in Irish and English to remind teachers and students to switch off lights when leaving the room or when not needed, and to switch off appliances when not in use.	Posters to be designed with fifth and sixth with help of green schools co-ordinator.	Posters to be put up in rooms by the second week in May.
Organise a low energy day for next September for whole school participation and awareness- raising. Inform the school of plans over the intercom, school assemblies and posters in classrooms and on green schools notice board.	Principal to inform school over intercom. Committee members to speak to relevant classes. Letters to be sent to parents to convey information about the day.	Reminde5rs of day to be on going with the help of posters from the beginnig of September right up to the low energy day.
Inform parents of aims and efforts of energy programme through our school website. Include reviews and details of our low energy day’s success.

Action	Group responsible	Time Frame
Read Electricity meter daily and formulate weekly and monthly graphs on electricity consumption.	Rotate responsibility among, student committee members with help from caretaker.	Ongoing
Form an energy squad to ensure switch it off campaign is being fully implemented classes to be checked daily.	Each teacher to organise and rotate responsibility within classroom	Starting the first week in MAY
Compare monthly rate of energy consumption with the same months from the previous year.	Committee members	10 % target reduction by October of 2009
Publicise results of monitoring and evaluation and make adjustments as required.	Green schools committee	On going from may 2009

Congratulations Scoil Iosef Naofa

On Friday 22nd May two members of our Green Flag went to Dublin to collect our Green Flag. This was  a special day for our school and the Green Flag will be raised later this month. Well done

Action Plan – Litter & Waste

Scoil Iosef Naofa, Corville, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary

Goal: · To involve all staff and pupils in our efforts to combat litter in our school & local area. · Reduce, reuse & recycle our waste in an organised way. · Help staff & pupils to understand the importance of managing our waste at home and in school.
Action	Person/Group Responsible	Time Frame
1. Write a Litter Policy.	Ms. Fitzpatrick & Mr. Slattery	Target Achieved April 2007
2. 3 New Bins in every classroom and Staff Room. CLEARLY LABELLED · Recycling Bin · Non-Recycling Bin · Compost Bin	Sourced by Ms. Fitzpatrick and monitored by 6th Class Waste Warriors.	Target Achieved May 2007
3. Towels replaced with electric hand dryers in all toilets.	Electrical works in school during Summer 2007.	Target Achieved Summer 2007
4. Reduce photocopying by printing on both sides and/or reducing size of text to print two pages onto one A4 page.	Mrs. Martina O’Donoghue - Secretary	Target Achieved June 2007 (and must be continuously monitored)
5. Teachers will use scrap paper from their own classroom and office to write casual notes on.	Ms. Yvonne McManus/Ms. Fitzpatrick Members of the Green Flag committee in each class monitor their own teacher.	Target Achieved September 2007
6. Designated Bin Depots located outside the school.	Mr. Michael Fletcher & Mr. Martin Meade	Target Achieved June 2007
7. Area behind Mrs. O’Brien & Ms. Fitzpatrick’s classrooms to be transformed into the school garden.	Mr. Michael Fletcher & Mr. Martin Meade	Started September 2007 and Ongoing
8. ‘Tidy Classroom of the Week’ Award.	Mrs. Pauline Simmons & Ms. Audrey Wright	Target Achieved September 2007 and Ongoing
9. Text-a-Parent Service to be established.	Mrs. Martina O’Donoghue & Mr. John Slattery	Target Achieved January 2008
10. Waste Warriors in charge of daily collection of rubbish from each classroom.	Brendan O’Donoghue, Brian Moloney, Kevin Maher, Shannen Ryan, Julie McMahon – 6th Class	Target Achieved April 2007 and Ongoing
11. Children & Staff must make a conscious effort to use a Reusable Lunchbox and a Reusable Bottle.	All pupils on the Green Flag Committee must monitor their own class.	Target Achieved April 2007 and Ongoing
12. Fruit Break at 11 o’clock to encourage use of Compost Bin.	Ms. Fitzpatrick & All pupils on the Green Flag Committee must monitor their own class.	Target Achieved October 2007
13. No Smoking by parents in School Yard.	Mr. Slattery	Target Achieved September 2007
14. Office Paper/Envelopes to be kept for reuse and /or recycling.	Mrs. O’Donoghue	Target Achieved September 2007
15. Green Schools as our theme for February in each Classroom.	Individual Class Teachers	Target Achieved February 2007
16. Clean up of School Grounds and local area.	Ms. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Slattery & the entire Green Flag Committee	Target Achieved April 2007 & January 2008
17. Online ‘Green Flag’/ Environmental notice board on our school website.	Mr. John Hogan	Target Achieved October 2007
18. Green School Slogan/Code Competition	Ms. Fitzpatrick	Target Achieved February 2008
19. Upload our Action Plan on School Website.	Mr. John Hogan	Target Achieved October 2007
20. Ongoing encouragement of ‘Green’ practices at home & updates of our hard work in school through our School Newsletter.	Whole School.	Ongoing