This Tipperary school were very busy for Global Citizenship and Sustainability Week

St Mary’s Secondary School, Newport, are proud to say we take sustainability and the environment seriously.

As part of our pledge to do better for our planet last week, we celebrated our annual Global Citizenship and Sustainability Week.

This is a chance for our staff and students to get involved in events and initiatives that create awareness about the environmental issues we all face and also to celebrate the positive aspects of what we are doing.

The week kicked off on Monday with a viewing of a student-made video about waste segregation and using the correct bins. We have plenty of budding acting talent in the school and the video was very well received by all!

The week was chock a bloke with a wide range of events, including a litter pick, walk for water event, guest speakers, workshops from Self Help Africa, sustainability cake sale, and a Keep it local zero food waste workshop, among other things.

In our classrooms, teachers made tailor-made lesson plans based on the theme of water. The staff really got involved this year, partaking in a colours day and getting to school by carpooling to reduce the amount of cars coming into the school car park.

The teachers also showed off their vocal ability along the way with a little karaoke fun!

One of the main events for the week was welcoming a Green schools officer to our school. We are currently working towards our next Green Schools flag under the theme of water, so will eagerly await news of whether we have achieved it.

Our polytunnel is currently ready and waiting for its peas and barley to be planted as part of the Grow it Your Own initiative.

It will be watered by our newly installed rain harvester, and our very own compost from our two food waste composters will provide plenty of nourishment to the soil.

Our TYs ran a wonderful Art installation in their GCE class, decorating stones with pledges on how they intend to make small changes to their lifestyle.

The TYs also interviewed our wonderful caretaker, John who tirelessly works to maintain our clean and green school.

Other events that are still to come on our calendar are the student leadership.

Contributed to School Days in the Tipperary Star by St Mary's Newport.