Green Schools

St. Mary’s currently holds a seventh Green Schools Flag, most recently awarded in September 2020.

February 2023

Write a short story or poem about the undiscovered wonders of our oceans. 1st place winner will receive a trophy, €100 book token, a whale or dolphin adoption from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and a writing workshop for their class from Poetry Ireland.

Design an A3 poster about Global Goal No.6 – Clean Water & Sanitation

Prize: Voucher worth €250 & a framed copy of your poster

The school will also win €500 to be spent by the G. S. Committee.

Closing Date – 10th of March 2023

Our school has formed a Creative Cluster with two other Wexford primary schools – Coolgreaney N.S. & Tara Hill N.S. Our 3rd & 4th classes will be working collaboratively on the topic of Wild Flowers. This is a photograph of our committee from 3rd & 4th classes. They will be recording our local flora, learning from guest speakers and experts, going on local trips and excursions to see what they can find. The grant of €3000 will help the children design and produce a creative response to all their work also at the end of the two year project. Already, both classes have collected and identified over 80 different species of wildflowers. Amazing work! At the moment, they are using blotting paper and heavy books to press the flowers but Jimmy Crowe, our school caretaker, has kindly offered to make a purpose-built flower press.

Feb. 2023

Our 1st Class pupils are so excited about Green Schools

Jan. 2023

Great News: We received an email from our electricity company which confirms that our electricity usage is down by 5% compared to this time last year. Well done to our Green School’s Monitors who make sure that lights are switched off at break time.

Jan.2023

Fight Food Waste – Did you know that Irish households waste about 250,000 tonnes of food every year?

Cutting down on food waste could save the average family up to €700 each year.

We can reduce food waste by:– Planning our meals before we shop

– Making a list

– Think of recipes to use leftovers

– Avoid buy one get one free offers if the

food will go to waste

– Remember “Best Before Dates” are just a guide

Dec. 2022

Make a Christmas Decoration using only recycled materials

And the winners are……..

Martin O’ Connor – Senior Infants

Dylan O’ Loughlin – 5th Class

Ms. Doyle organised for 3rd – 6th class to make some Christmas logs. The classes collected donations of €235. This was enough money to purchase the following gifts : Water, A Goat, Bees and School Lunches.

Nov. 2022

Christmas Shoe box Collection – Organised by the Parent’s Association. A chance to give Christmas gifts to children who are less fortunate than ourselves

Nov. 2022

“Pack a Punch with a Waste Free Lunch”

Waste Free Tuesdays – a 4 week initiative to encourage the use of reusable bottles and to find alternatives to cling-film and tinfoil.

Each week the winning class earned a subject off homework!

Our dedicated Green School’s Energy Monitors are very diligent at break time, making sure that lights and appliances are switched off and that doors are closed to retain heat in the classrooms.

Nov. 2022

3rd & 4th Classes began working on the Seakeepers Project. These classes will study 6 Irish marine species during the year. Then next May, one lucky class nationwide will be chosen to have a free Beach Exploration Workshop at a seaside location in their region.

Green School’s Committee speak to the classes about why we should care for the Ocean. They use a Slideshow to illustrate their points.

October 2022

Our Green School’s Motto Competition was won by 4th Class

“Cause a Commotion to Save the Ocean”

Here is a photo of their spooky Hallowe’en prize.

Sept. 2022

Junior Infants enjoying the signs of autumn!

#BIGBEACHCLEAN2022

**Sept. 2022**
**“What goes in the school compost bin?”**
**What goes in the school compost bin?** **Left over fruit & veg.**
**Tea bags**
**Coffee grinds**
**Small bits**
**of newspaper**
**Leaves & twigs**

June 2022

A treat for our hard-working committee 2021-2022

June 2022 in full bloom

**June 2022**
Kate Smith from 6th class was announced as the overall winner of the Steam “Climate Action in a Box Art Competition.” Our prize was a visit from two artists from Waterford Walls who helped the 6th class pupils to turn Kate’s painting into a fantastic mural.

May 2022

As part of the Bealtaine Living Earth Festival, our Third Class visited the Seal Sanctuary in Courtown this week. What a wonderful experience to get up close to these beautiful animals and to learn all about how the Seal Sanctuary cares for them. Thank you to Sheila & Denise at Calmast, WIT, for setting up this visit for our school.

April 2022

Our Green Schools’ posters are helping to raise awareness

April / May / June 2022

The Sunflower Project – organised by the Tidy Towns’ Committee. We grew our sunflowers in small pots and cared for them in the tunnel. Later, we planted them around the school car park and along the village footpath.

May 2022

Our School Garden

April 2022 – Spring Clean

Our 5th and 6th Classes paid visits to our local beaches to help tidy up and take pride in our place. We even had some time to do some sketching. Thank you to the Tidy Towns Committee for helping Mrs Dwyer and Mr Sutton to organise the trip.

https://vimeo.com/694990811 We are so proud of Hugh Martin in 3rd Class who won a prize for his poem “Through the Eyes of the Ocean”

March 2022

5th and 6th class took part in a series of Workshops entitled “Steam – Climate Action in a Box.” They then took part in an Art competition between schools in the South East.

March 2022

*Incredible Edibles Programme

March 2022

We were delighted to welcome Colin Travers and his birds of prey to our school last week. We learned more about these fascinating birds. Colin explained how the use of poison to control rodents is having a devastating effect on these birds of prey. Once poison enters the food chain, it affects all the animals in that chain.

Jan. 2022

5th & 6th Classes participate in a 6 week science programme organised by www.steam-ed.ie . The programme was delivered by Maria Corcoran, an environmental scientist who did a combination of zoom and in-person visits. The pupils were engaged in lots of exciting experiments and activities to learn more about renewable energy and to discuss solutions to climate change. How to make your own wind turbines.