Eco Commitee
Congratulations to our newly elected Eco-Committee for 2023 - 2024
Green Day
Today, Friday 22nd of March we celebrated Green Day.
Everyone had a chance to sample a fresh fruit skewer to encourage healthy breaks. Each class took part in eco-friendly lessons surrounding issues we face today.
Our Cash for Clobber competition winners were announced.
Primary 3&4 were the overall class winners and will enjoy a trip to the park.
Jd and Emmett won the individual prizes and will enjoy a trip to Gilberry Fayre with their families.
Lots of children had the opportunity to plant flowers and trees to improve our school grounds, we managed to plant a total of 150 trees.
We had a wonderful day!
Success for St.Colman's Bann!
We are thrilled to announce that the Eco-Committee were successful in their recent Tak500+ competition and will receive funding for an outdoor shelter.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for taking the time to come out and vote for our project!
We look forward to putting the money to good use.
Tak500+
We are absolutely delighted to have been part of the Tak500+ Market Stall event on Saturday 9th of March, in Banbridge Leisure Centre.
Communities from every corner of the borough put forward ideas they think will have a positive impact on their area – St Colman’s Bann Eco-Committee are now in the running to receive up to £1000 to fund our Outdoor Shelter project!
Thank you to those who came along and voted. It was a great day with lots of activities, spot prizes, and teas and coffees.
Fingers crossed we are successful!
Take a Book, Leave a Book
The Eco-Committee and Miss Zust have kindly restored our ‘Take a Book, Leave a Book’ station.
It is fully stocked and ready for use. Please feel free to take a book and donate any of your own books that you think someone would enjoy reading. We are hoping to get a range of books to suit the reading abilities of Primary 1- 7 children.
Ditch the Dark!
Well done to everyone who took part in our Ditch the Dark day on Thursday 14th of December 2023. There were lots of children and staff dressed brightly from head to toe to raise awareness about the importance of being seen during the dark winter months.
Green Day
This year we ran our annual Cash for Clobber competition to encourage recycling and raise money. We decided to include books in the competition to improve our school library and add to our ‘Take a Book, Leave a book’ box.
The class Primary 6 and 7 class won with a very impressive total of 153 bags and books!
The individual prize winners were:
1st place-Emmett Murphy with 55
2nd place-Thomas Maguire with 50
3rd place-Sophie Redpath with 25
4th place-Kevin Burns with 22
We plan on using the money we earn from this collection to buy some new seeds and plants to make our school beautiful.
Each class focussed on one of our eco issues and everyone in the school enjoyed a fruit skewer to promote healthy living and reinforce our healthy break policy.
Many thanks for the continued support with our eco activities.
WASTE BUSTERS!
We were delighted to welcome the Lyric Theatre to our school today. They performed an exciting new musical all about the environment called WASTE BUSTERS! The children enjoyed exploring themes of littering, recycling, plastic pollution and global warming.
Queen's Green Canopy Initiative
Thank you to Clara for kindly donating her trees from the Queen's Green Canopy Initiative to our school.
We know trees clean the air and help support our wildlife.
Eco-Committee 2022/23
Eco-Committee 2021/22
Special Visitors to St.Colman's Bann
Minister Nichola Mallon enjoyed meeting our wonderful Eco-Committee, hearing all of our ideas, seeing our environmental solutions in action and planting the first of many beautiful blossom trees. She was delighted to hold our very special mascot Eco Joe!
Go Green
The Eco-Committee organised another fantastic ‘Focus’ Day. Each class was given an R to work on.
- P1/2- Recycle
- P2/3- Reuse
- P3/4- Refuse
- P5/6- Reduce
- P6/7- Repair
Thank You!
A big thank you to David McKay who kindly donated a £50.00 voucher to the Eco-Committee at St.Colman's Bann. We look forward to spending it on our next eco-friendly project! It is very much appreciated.
Wild Flowers
The Eco-committee have spent some time weeding, pruning and planting. We are very excited for Spring.
We have decided to add some wild flower areas to our school. We do this in the hope of supporting a range of pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies. We look forward to watching them grow over the next few months, adding even more colour to our school grounds.
Cash for Clobber
We have decided to run our annual Cash for Clobber competition to encourage recycling and raise money.
The competition will run to the end of March.
Each teacher has been given a blank tally chart to keep track of how many bags each class can collect in this time.
The class with the most bags at the end of the month will get a special reward and we will also have two individual prizes for the children that bring the most bags in.
We plan on using the money we earn from this collection to buy some new seeds and plants to make our school beautiful.
We can recycle clothes, paired shoes, hats, scarves, handbags, curtains, towels and bed linen.
Rose and Ben.
Big Garden Birdwatch
28th-30th January
Over the weekend you could try to watch the birds in your garden and note down which birds you see in an hour and how many of them.
If you want to attract some more birds than usual you might want to put out some food.
- You can put out leftovers such as bread, fruit cake, dried fruit or fruit such as apples and pears.
- Don’t use anything mouldy or salty though, and if you have a dog don’t put out dried fruit – vine fruits such as raisins can be toxic to them!
Remember the water - Birds like a drink too.
- Try a dinner plate or breakfast bowl – anything shallow that holds water will do
- Large plant pot trays work well
And remember to:
- Keep it clean
- Put out fresh water every day
- Pour warm water onto any ice that forms in the winter, birds need water all year round
You can put your bird food in all sorts of places, but aim for somewhere:
- Quiet – where birds won't be disturbed
- Safe – not too close to bushes where cats could hide
- Sheltered from harsh winds
Meádbh, Rose and Thomas
Attracting Birds
Healthy Habits
A big thank you to the Eco-Committee who have been working hard this week to prepare and deliver talks to each class about the importance of making healthy choices.
We focused on our healthy eating policy. In St. Colman’s Bann we encourage:
Break: Fruit or Vegetables
Lunch: A balanced meal with ONE treat
Drinks: Water/ Sugar free dilute
All children should bring a reusable water bottle which can be refilled throughout the day.
The Eco-Committee reinforced their message by making every child a fruit skewer so that they could sample some fresh fruit from a local green grocer. It was delicious!
Fruity Friday
Wonderful Wellies
Cleaning and Tidying
Ditch The Dark
On Friday the 15th of October we celebrated ‘Ditch the Dark Day’ in school. We encouraged children to walk, cycle or scoot to school (where possible). This day was to make pupils aware of the ‘Being Bright and Seen’ message.
September 2021
Caring for our School
We have school grounds that we can be very proud of. The Eco-committee have spent a lot of time planting bulbs, weeding and maintaining the school grounds and will continue to do so throughout the year.
Earth Day 2021
Earth Day is an event which takes place every year on 22nd April.Earth Day encourages us to look after our planet and reminds us that we need to make changes to our lifestyle if we want to protect our planet and our futures.
We know as individuals, our impact may be little but there are always things we can do to play a part in restoring our earth.
Today we 'powered down'. We went paper free, we used as little electricity as possible and we enjoyed our lessons and lunch outside in the sunshine. The Eco-Committee planted new shrubs around our school grounds to encourage biodiversity. We know they release oxygen into the atmosphere, absorb carbon dioxide, provide habitat and food for wildlife and humans, and regulate the water cycle.
International Polar Bear Day
Saturday 27th February 2021
I invite you to join me in making it an extra-special day for polar bears by taking part in a Thermostat Challenge.
It's simple: by turning your heating down a little to burn less oil, you are reducing global warming and the polar bears ice homes won’t melt as fast.
Other things you can do:
- Use energy saving light bulbs.
- Take a shower instead of a bath.
- Add insulation to reduce your energy consumption throughout the year and then you don’t need your central heating on as much.
- Cycle or walk to the shop, if possible.
Ask an adult at home to talk to you about the challenges polar bears face in a changing Arctic and the part each of us can play in stopping global warming.
Lidl Northern Ireland is calling budding young artists across the region to unleash their inner Picasso and create an eye-catching design to feature on the retailer’s brand new heavy-duty plastic shopping bags, due to hit stores later this year.
Drawing inspiration from the world around them, and their own imagination, children are encouraged to get creative and submit a drawing, sketch or painting of what one of the R’s of Sustainability means to them – choosing from the themes ‘reduce’, ‘reuse’ or ‘recycle’.
Lidl hope that this competition will spark important conversations around the over-reliance on plastic and encourage us all to re-think how it is used and what we can all do individually to help reduce plastic in our environment.
To be in with a chance to win, pick up a colouring competition entry form in any Lidl Northern Ireland store from Monday 25 January, or download the form at www.lidl-ni.co.uk/shopping-bags and print it off at home.
To submit your masterpiece, entrants can take a picture of their creation and upload it to the competition’s webpage by Sunday 28thFebruary 2021.
Ditch the Dark Day 2020
Congratulations to our newly elected Eco-Committee for 2020-21
Ditch the Dark!
Well done to everyone who took part in our Ditch the Dark day. There were lots of children and staff dressed brightly from head to toe to raise awareness about the importance of being seen during the dark winter months. A big thank you to Dave from Sustrans who led our assembly and carried out science experiments in P4/5 and P6/7.
Cash for Clobber
Well done to all the families who participated in our annual Cash for Clobber October competition. As always, it is very much appreciated.
Well done to Katie who was our individual winner and Cara-Rois and Emmett who were our winning family. We hope you enjoy spending your vouchers!
Well done to Primary 6 and 7 who collected a very impressive 80 bags and will now enjoy a trip to the Park after Halloween to celebrate.
Our newly elected Eco-Committee for 2019 - 2020
Green Flag Success!
On Tuesday 18th June Mrs Frances McCorry and Mr Robert McCreery visited our School to meet with our Eco- committee and carry out an assessment. We are delighted to announce that we were awarded the prestigious ‘Green Flag’ on the day of assessment.
The internationally recognised Green Flag is the highest award given to Eco-Schools and symbolises excellence in the field of environmental activity.
Congratulations to all our Eco-committee for their hard work throughout the year!
The Eco committee want to thank everyone who took part in Earth Day this year. The focus of the day was on plastic. We discussed single use plastics in our school, and solutions as to how they can be reduced and re-used.
Each class collected plastic waste and made some fantastic creations including; bird feeders, water butts, bottle top artwork, plastic super heroes and even some school mascots!
Plastic Project
Plastic Project
Plastic Project
Plastic Project
Earth Day 2019
This year the pupils of St Colman’s Bann celebrated Earth Day on Tuesday the 16th of April. The children came to School in Earth colours and took part in a day of eco filled activities inside and outside.
This year the Eco committee wanted the focus of the day to be on plastic. We discussed single use plastics in our school, and solutions as to how single use plastics could be re-used, that aims to avoid disposal.
Each class took part in a plastic project to reuse some of our waste. The results were fantastic and we look forward to showing you our creations when they are complete!
Hard at work!
International Polar Bear Day is on
Wednesday 27th February 2019
We invite you to join us in making it an extra-special day for polar bears by taking part in our THERMOSTAT CHALLENGE. It’s simple: by turning your heating down a little to burn less oil, you are reducing global warming and the polar bears ice homes won’t melt as fast.
Other things you can do:
- POWER DOWN CHALLENGE:
- Stop phantom power by unplugging electronic devices. You’ll save energy and reduce greenhouse-gas pollution. Here are some clues to help you recognise a product that draws power continuously:
- it has a remote control;
- it requires an external power supply;
- it has a digital display, LED status light or digital clock;
- it contains a battery or charger;
- it has a soft-touch keypad.
- NO IDLING CHALLENGE:
- Many people idle their vehicles when going through a drive-thru, picking up or dropping off passengers or warming up their engines before driving. For every two minutes an average vehicle idles, it burns the same amount of fuel it takes to drive one mile. By not idling, you’ll save fuel and reduce greenhouse-gas pollution.
- PEDAL FOR POLAR BEARS CHALLENGE:
- By walking or cycling to school we can reduce carbon pollution and help polar bears at the same time.
PLUS: Try to:
- Use energy saving light bulbs.
- Take a shower instead of a bath.
- Add insulation to reduce your energy consumption throughout the year and then you don’t need your central heating on as much.
Talk to your child about the challenges polar bears face in a changing Arctic and the part each of us can play in stopping global warming.
Thank you
P4-7 took part in an enlightening Trocaire Workshop by Rosie Murray. First class passengers were very happy, second class were content and the third class passengers were very angry and upset! The drama really hit home on how wealth is unfairly distributed around the World.
A big thank you to Noreen from Lough Neagh Discovery Centre who visited to discuss ideas for the school grounds which would help to enhance and develop the existing features.
The Big Garden Bird Watch
We are getting ready to take part in the Big Garden Bird Watch from 26th -28th of January.
If you would like to join in at home you can sign-up to request a FREE postal pack, or take part online and get access to Big Garden Extra.
Click the link below:
Plastic Toy Swap Shop
USPCA
The Eco-committee organised for the USPCA to come into our School to discuss the importance of looking after our pets, protecting wildlife and how we can do this in school. The pupils really enjoyed learning about the different wildlife in our area that we can protect.
We would like to thank the USPCA for visiting us and providing us with so much information!
Cash for Clobber
Well done to all the families who participated in the Cash for Clobber October competition. It is very much appreciated.
The totals were as follows:
P1- 3 bags
P2- 11 bags
P3/4- 21 bags
P4/5- 40 bags
P6/7- 15 bags
Well done to Primary 4 and 5 who will enjoy a trip to the Park after Halloween to celebrate. Individual winners will be announced at Assembly.
Commonwealth Canopy
The Eco-committee were delighted to receive a gift. It was a small Silver birch tree, it is fast-growing and supports more than 300 species of insect.
The tree is a part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy. It is a wonderful initiative that unites all 53 countries of the Commonwealth in protecting the Earth’s forests. It links conservation projects around the world.
We feel proud that we are helping to make a difference!
Butterfly Release
The Eco-committee were excited to help the Primary 1 children release 28 beautiful butterflies which we have watched throughout their lifecycle.
Action Plan
Eco code
Environmental Review
The Eco-Committee visit Stormont
Eco-Committee 2018
Well done to the new members of the Eco-committee. They prepared their insightful speeches and delivered them with confidence to their classes.
Outdoor Play
Young children need the opportunity to use their whole body and develop their gross motor skills. It is only when they have mastered these that they will be able to control their fine motor skills, such as using a knife and fork or holding a pencil, for instance. As a result, children playing outside has a fantastic impact on children’s progress and development. It is also amazing how fresh air can blow away the cobwebs and make a world of difference to how you feel.
This year the Eco-committee have been working hard to help develop outdoor play in our School. They have helped to source the materials, collect resources and set them up.
Primary 1,2,3 and 4 have enjoyed building outdoor play into their Activity Based Learning.
Butterfly Release
A big thank you to the Eco club who kindly bought the Primary 1 class caterpillars. The Primary 1 children looked after and cared for them throughout each stage of their lifecycle.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a big part of our ‘Healthy Living’ topic in School. Here are some activities to help children become more mindful.
These exercises are quite simple, but it may take some time before children will feel comfortable with stillness and quiet and focused concentration. Be prepared for some frustration and comments that it seems strange. This is a normal response at first. It takes practice but the practice is worth it.
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Quiet time focusing on breath |
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This exercise helps the child to be aware only of the present as the focus is on the current breath. It also has the effect of calming the mind and any anxiety in the body. Arrange a daily time where you sit quietly and focus on your breathing. Young children should not be expected to sit for long. A general rule is that they can sit quietly for the number of minutes that matches their age. So a 5-year-old could be expected to sit for 5 minutes; a 10-year-old for 10 minutes and so on. When you first introduce this to children you should only do it for one or two minutes. You can do it sitting on chairs with feet on the floor or children may prefer to sit cross-legged on the floor. You could guide the quiet time as follows: "Become aware of your breathing. Focus on the feeling of coolness at your nose when you breathe in and the feeling of warmth as you breathe out. Say 'one' as you breathe in and 'one' as you breathe out. Then say 'two' as you breathe in and 'two' as you breathe out, and so on, up to five. Then start back at 'one' again. Thoughts will come into your head. That’s ok, just know that they are thoughts and just push them gently away and go back to counting your breath, beginning with one." Children can be encouraged to use this focus on breathing in their daily life when they are feeling worried or angry or before starting homework or going to sleep.
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Walking mindfully |
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This can be useful for children who find it difficult to sit still. It helps them become more aware of their body. Ask the children to walk around a room. Ask them to lift one foot at a time slowly and carefully as if walking on eggshells or walking in slow motion. Ask them to place their foot down smoothly and slowly. Then ask them to take a step with the other foot the same distance ahead. Ask them to feel every muscle in their legs while they walk and every shift in body weight. Ask them to feel their hands and arms in space. You can ask them to move a bit faster, then more slowly again. Tell them that, if they begin to think about other things, they should gently allow these thoughts to pass, then return their attention to their body. |
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Paying attention to how we think |
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Becoming more mindful involves understanding that we produce our thoughts - they are not who we are, they are just something that we do. Once we understand this, it is easier to push any negative thoughts out of our mind. Once the child has learnt to keep awareness on the present moment by focusing on their breath, you can then help them become aware of their thoughts and feelings. You can use the following exercise: "Close your eyes and say to yourself: 'I wonder what my next thought is going to be?' Then focus very carefully, waiting for the next thought - like a cat watching a mouse hole. I wonder what thought is going to come out of the mouse hole?" |
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The WOW Factor |
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What are the things that fill you with wonder? Is it a rainbow, how you breathe, a new-born baby, a mountain, the sea, a butterfly, a forest of bluebells, a whale? You can do this next exercise in a group or on your own. What you need:
What you do:
Things to talk about together:
Other ideas:
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Earth Day
Earth Day was a huge success!
In class we 'powered down' and enjoyed some paper free lessons. The Eco-committee ran the day, taking members of each class out to Spring clean and tidy up our School environment. Thank you to Mrs McGrane for providing the beautiful flowers.The School looks fantastic!
Well done to everyone who dressed up and took part in eco activities!
Earth Day
On Friday the 20th of April the Eco-committee will be running an ‘Earth Day’ in school.
Children are invited to dress in ‘Earth’ colours and will be taking part in various eco activities such as planting new grow beds and taking part in a big Spring clean of our school grounds.
In class we will be ‘powering down’ and avoiding using electricity and paper as far as possible.
Take a Book, Leave a Book!
The Eco-committee would like to introduce our latest project. The ‘Take a Book, leave a Book’ box is a little free library to encourage reading and recycling within our School.
You simply take a book you would like to read out of the box and replace it with one of your own books. Make sure you don’t give away a book you would like back!
On behalf of all the Children and Staff at St. Colman’s Bann we would like to thank the very talented Peter Milton (Senior) who made this fantastic creation!
Global Perspective
Our Children are aware that as global citizens we have a responsibility and that our actions even on a local scale impact globally such as choosing to walk or get the bus, or choosing the correct bin to recycle their waste appropriately. The children are currently covering; pollution, climate change and exploitation of natural resources.
We chose to support Trocaire as our charity of choice during Lent particularly for their work surrounding ‘Humanitarian Crises’. We found when researching that these are increasing in scale and frequency due to climate change. The children raised money via collection and running Easter competitions. We then took part in a ‘coin trail' around the assembly hall to show the children just how far their efforts really stretched!
Important Dates:
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International Day of Forests on 20th March 2018
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World Water Day on 21st March 2018
Biodiversity
This terms topic is Biodiversity. Each class will be learning what Biodiversity is and how we can increase it in our own local environment.
Biodiversity comes from two words: bio which is short for biology (living things) and diversity (variety).
Biodiversity means the mixture of life on earth.
It includes all the species, habitats and ecosystems which exist on our planet.
Cash for Clobber Total
The total money collected from the Cash for Clobber drive was £264. The Eco-committee are delighted with this amount and very grateful. We will we using this money to make our School an eco-friendlier environment for everyone to enjoy!
International Polar Bear Day is on
We invite you to join us in making it an extra-special day for polar bears by taking part in our THERMOSTAT CHALLENGE. It’s simple: by turning your heating down a little to burn less oil, you are reducing global warming and the polar bears ice homes won’t melt as fast.
Other things you can do:
- POWER DOWN CHALLENGE:
- Stop phantom power by unplugging electronic devices. You’ll save energy and reduce greenhouse-gas pollution. Here are some clues to help you recognise a product that draws power continuously:
- it has a remote control;
- it requires an external power supply;
- it has a digital display, LED status light or digital clock;
- it contains a battery or charger;
- it has a soft-touch keypad.
- NO IDLING CHALLENGE:
- Many people idle their vehicles when going through a drive-thru, picking up or dropping off passengers or warming up their engines before driving. For every two minutes an average vehicle idles, it burns the same amount of fuel it takes to drive one mile. By not idling, you’ll save fuel and reduce greenhouse-gas pollution.
- PEDAL FOR POLAR BEARS CHALLENGE:
- By walking or cycling to school we can reduce carbon pollution and help polar bears at the same time.
PLUS: Try to:
- Use energy saving light bulbs.
- Take a shower instead of a bath.
- Add insulation to reduce your energy consumption throughout the year and then you don’t need your central heating on as much.
Talk to your child about the challenges polar bears face in a changing Arctic and the part each of us can play in stopping global warming.
Thank you
Cash for Clobber
A massive thank you to every family who donated a bag/s to the Cash for Clobber competition during the month of January. In total we collected an amazing 257 bags! We look forward to hearing just how much we have earned for our School.
Many thanks for your continued support,
The Eco-committee.
Our individual winners Aoibhin (P4) and Eilis (P6), who brought 12 bags each!
Congratulations to the winning class Primary 4 and 5, who collected an amazing 76 bags for Cash for Clobber! They enjoyed a fun afternoon in the Park!
Unboxing 'The Great Plant Hunt' treasure chest!
Planning our new Biodiversity topic
The Eco-committee have been working hard to secure the new Cash for Clobber bin, situated at the main entrance of our school! We are having a competition in School during the month of January to see which class can bring the most bags in, the winning class will get a treat afternoon in the park!
Eco-Committee 2017-2018
