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meet the eco-team
Article 15: Every child has the right to meet with other children and to join in groups and organisations, as long as this does not stop other people enjoying their rights.
Eco-Team is made up of children and staff (Hannah Gully and Lindsay Monk) who have volunteered themselves for the role and who have a real passion for all things eco. We have set up the team as we would like to help make our school and our planet a more eco-friendly and sustainable place. We are hoping that the work we do will help and benefit the environment and will also help us to achieve Eco-Schools status and the Green Flag Award.
We meet every Wednesday to discuss and plan events to support our school to become as environmentally friendly as possible. We learn about environmental issues through our Learn Together curriculum as well.
So far Eco-Team have:
Conducted an Environmental Review, which we used to identify three the school’s three main areas for development:
-Waste
-School grounds
-Transport
We will focus on these three topics for two years and then conduct another Environmental Review to select another three topics.Written and designed an Environmental Code for the school
Planned and delivered a number of assemblies
Organised a bake sale to raise funds for Eco-School
Helped clear up and maintain the school’s herb garden and flower beds
Conducted a number of recycling surveys
Responded to the results of the recycling surveys and put new paper, plastic, general and food waste bins in every classroom
Organised and help run our first ever Water Festival
Organised and help run the Big Pedal
Made an Eco-Team display in the main reception area
Street Party Prep with Living Streets
To help celebrate Walk to School Week the children were able to meet Kelly Theis to help prepare decorations. Kelly spoke to the Eco-Team about the work that Living Streets are doing and reminded them why we were having the street party. The children helped by making bunting and posters.
April Active Travellers
It was a short month for our active travellers but a big well done to those who are continuing to come to school actively and earn themselves badges.
A special well done to Tiger class who were awarded the most active class award.
With Walk to School Week during May lets hope it will be another successful month of active travel.
Water Explorer Challenge- Precious Water
Year 4 took on the challenge to convince as many people as they can to save water. To begin the children thought about the different areas of their homes and how much water would be used in each of them. They then thought about how much of that water is wasted and how much of it could be saved. Going through each room they shared staggering facts about the amount we are using. This then raised the question… what could be done about it? The children created informative leaflets to share with their families and encourage them to make a difference. All the children then made a pledge to make one water saving change they would make at home.
We’re having a street party!
Eco Team are extremely excited to share the news of our first Redfield Educate Together Street party. In celebration with Walk to School Week we will be closing the road outside our gates for games and activities. We will celebrate feeling safe on our streets with families and friends.
THE BIG PEDAL 2019
It was that time of year again where as a school we tried our best to think about how we are travelling to school for two weeks of April.
During the challenge each class recording how they and their families came to school. Our Eco-Team members were responsible for passing on these at the end of each day. They were recorded online.
We were extremely impressed with the involvement and team effort that Redfield made, which was represented in the final results.
As a school we finished 201 / 785 schools nationwide and 12 / 72 in our region.
Well done to everyone who took part.
Waste Week 2019
This years theme for waste week focused on plastic. In order to help the whole school focus on reducing the amount of plastic we use in our school the eco-team completed an audit at the beginning of March to see how much plastic waste there was in our bins. They then shared a message with the whole school about how we like to reduce the amount that we have found and will be completing another audit at the end of the month. The children also helped by displaying plastic fact posters around the school to invite all classes to take part in a plastic mission. By the end of the month we had reduce the amount of plastic in our bins and now hope to sustain this into next term.
March Active Traveller Badge
It’s that time again!
We are active travellers continuing a fantastic month of active travelling.
Congratulations to Hummingbird class who for the first time achieved the award for the most active class.
The big battery hunt is on.
This week the children have made some fantastic posters that have been shared around the school encouraging everyone to take part in The Big Battery Hunt. The children have shared individual collection boxes with their classes and informed them about what they need to do. We have also put a larger collection box in our school reception. for
Get set… we’re taking part in Sustrans Big Pedal 2019, the UK’s largest inter-school cycling, walking and scooting challenge.
The challenge runs from 25th March to 5th April. It’s free and we would love everyone to be involved!
On each day of the challenge our school, along with many other schools compete to see who can record the greatest number of pupils, staff and parents cycling, walking or scooting to school.
It’s a great way to get more of our pupils travelling actively to school and is a simple way to boost their physical and mental health.
Cycle, walk, scoot and snap to win family prizes
To be more involved we encourage our families to win prizes during Sustrans Big Pedal. Simply post a photo of you and your child cycling, walking or scooting to school on social media during the challenge using #BigPedalWin. To be in with a chance of winning, you’ll need to follow Sustrans on Instagram instagram.com/sustrans, Twitter twitter.com/sustrans or Facebook facebook.com/Sustrans. Be sure to check the terms and conditions found on the Big Pedal website prior to entering the competition.
All we need to do is encourage our children to cycle, walk or scoot to school on as many days as possible during the event, and join them on their way.
Water Explorer Challenge- Fresher Water
Our year three children have been focusing on becoming curious conservationists and embraced a mission into how we could clean our water.
They discussed the crisis with many local water supplies across the world. Learning how lakes and rivers have been polluted, resulting in dirty water that can cause people to become sick. They thought about how this made them feel and wondered if their was anything they could do to make a difference.
In groups the children talked about how they think water could be cleaned. They made lists about what materials they would need and the method they would use. After attempting some filtration they anaylised it and thought about what they could do to improve it.
WE’RE TAKING PARK IN THE BIGGEST SCHOOL RECYCLING PROGRAM!
At Redfield we have joined the hunt and are encouraging everyone to think about the importance of recycling. We’re taking on the challenge to collect all our used batteries.
How it works?
1. We have received our free recycling boxes.
2. Using resources we will help teach all pupils the importance of recycling.
3. All classes will receive a recycling box to be kept in their classrooms.
4. All of the class batteries are collected in our school container.
5. The Big Battery Hunt will be contacted to collect our container and we will be entered into competitions to win some great prizes!
February Active Traveller badge
We have had another successful month of active travellers.
This months class of active travellers is awarded to Giraffe.
As part of a science week celebrations, all children with have the opportunity to take part in the WOW badge design competition. This annual competition gives the children the chance to design one of the 11 badges, made from recycled yoghurt pot-material for next year.
This years theme is Inventions that changed the world.
Water Explorer Challenge- Discovering secret water
Year 1 have taken on another water explorer mission. This mission sets out to find out how much secret water is in our favourite foods. Playing a game of higher or lower, they found out the amount water used in individual food. They then discussed how this made them feel and if they would feel differently the next time they ate it. Following their discussions they drew pictures of their favourite food that used the least amount of water.
We are looking to raise some money for our school grounds, whilst helping our environment.
Water Explorer Challenge- Discovering secret water
Year 2 took on the secret water mission that looked at investigating the water that is hidden in our clothes. Reusing and upcycling clothes is a great way to save water and to lessen the impact of water mins pollution on local communities near factories. Independently, the children created a water-saving item of clothing. They made tie-dye t shirts.
January’s Active Travellers
This months living street badge was very appropriate for our snowy January. The children loved the snowman design.
Congratulations to Rhino class for being this months most active travellers.
We’re Water Explorers!
Redfield children are now Water Explorers! Water explorers encourages students aged 8-14 from 11 countries to take bold and powerful action to save our precious water through fun, interactive water saving Missions.
Catering for different cultures, challenges and water sophistication, water explorers have created a range of challenges grouped into four Mission areas:
Precious Water – How do we save those drips, leaks and flushes?
Learn about how our everyday actions at home and at school have an impact on our local communities. Students will consider the differences between countries who have a lot of or very little water and learn why saving water means saving energy and money and is important for everyone. Through lessons and activities students will go undercover to monitor leaking taps in their building and identify where else water is being wasted at home, whether in the bathroom, kitchen or garden, before encouraging them to take action to change water-wasting behaviours through ideas on water-saving actions for their home, school and community.
Fresher Water – Would you drink from your local lake?
Learn about the importance of keeping water clean and how dirty water not only affects us, but all other life on earth. Students will investigate the impact that clean water has on biodiversity and see how dirty water can harm the land, plants and animals, through studying the quality of water in their local area and considering factors such as litter and land use. Activities will also get students to think carefully about what they should and shouldn’t put down the drain and understand the impact on infrastructure and the environment. They’ll take action by getting involved in a global monitoring programme.
Secret Water – Do you know how much water it takes to make a cup of tea?
Learn about the secret life of water and how everything from your cotton T-shirt to a piece of paper needs water to be made. Students will go behind the scenes to investigate where water is hiding across their building. They’ll be encouraged to find out what changes could be made around their home, school or building to reduce their water footprint, through reducing water use, or reusing and recycling stuff, reviewing the menu at the school canteen or analysing the water content of their clothes. Activities will also prompt students to share their findings with the wider community to reveal where water is hiding.
Global Water – How far would you walk for a glass of water?
Learn about how your use of water at home and school can affect vulnerable communities across the world, from safe access to clean water to climate change. Activities will help students to gain an understanding of the connection between clean water and health, quality of life and climate change. Students will also consider the contrast between those who have access to clean, readily available tap water and the distances that some people across the world have to travel in order to access water that is often unfit for consumption. They’ll take action to save water to help reduce the impact of climate change around the world, ensuring healthy and safe livelihoods for everyone.
Watch this space to see what the children get up to in their missions!
Eco-Team Questionnaire
As it is the start of the new year, we wanted to take the opportunity to speak to Eco-team and ask them to share their views and opinions about how things have been going! We asked all the children to complete a questionnaire. This contained the following questions.
Do you think we are improving our school waste? If no, what could we do better?
Do you think we are making improvements to develop our school grounds? If no, what could we do better?
Do you think we making improvements to our focus on transport? If no, what could we do better?
Are you happy as a Eco-team member?
Do you think we promote the Eco-team enough? If no, how could we improve this?
Are you happy to continue your role as part of the Eco-team?
As a result the children came up with some fantastic ideas to continue improving our three focus areas. They also spoke very highly of their role and are keen to continue representing Redfield’s Eco-team.
Paper bin talk
Following the Eco-Team assembly, our year 1 and 2 representatives visited the classes to remind them what can and can’t go into our paper bins. They also presented every class with a paper bin fact file to help them remember.
December Living Street badge
Well done to all our active travellers this December!
The children seems to be really enjoying earning the badges are excited to see the different designs.
A big well done to Narwhals for being the most active class.
Eco-Team assembly
To start off the year the Eco-Team took the opportunity to speak to the whole school in assembly and let them know what they have been up to since September.
Collectively the children decided on some key areas that they wanted to talk to the school about. These focused on the school grounds: the use of the mindful maze, looking after the plants, how we are treating the animal habitats and the use of chalk at lunchtime. They reminded everyone about being an active traveller with living streets and how we must remember to use of food bins correctly. Lastly they introduced the school to Eco-Bricks and encouraged everyone to make their own to contribute to building an eco-brick buddy bench.
Well done to our November active travellers!
A huge well done to everyone who has become an active traveller this month and to those who have been awarded the November badge. As a school we have even more active travellers and a huge well done to Tiger class for achieving the most active class award. We have been really impressed with the enthusiasm from everyone this past month, lets see if we can keep is up during December.
We’re energy savers!!!
After finishing ‘Switch off Fortnight’ the eco-team helped by completing another spontaneous audit in the hope to find that the whole school have saved energy. The second audit showed a difference of -5.6kWh over a 24hr period which the children we are extremely pleased about. If sustained over the year, it could be a difference of -1091kWh! As a school we were rewarded with this certificate. The eco-team will now continue to promote saving energy in our school.
Taking part in ‘Switch of Fortnight’
Over two weeks in November, Redfield took part in EDF’s energy campaign
‘Switch of Fortnight’.
The campaign aims to help reduce the amount of energy we are using at
school and inform everyone about the effects of using a large amount.
The Eco-club were shocked to see the amount we were using after completing
a energy audit around the school. They learnt why it’s so important to save
energy and decided, with the help of EDF energy, we needed to make a change.
The children worked very hard to create a short video that was shared to all
classes introducing them to ‘Switch of Fortnight’. During their campaign,
the Eco-Club helped to spread the word about the importance of saving
energy. The children also created small posters to remind classes to turn off
their smartboards and laptops when they weren’t using them.
After the two weeks, the children will complete a second audit in anticipation
of the school’s improvement.
Our first month as Active Travellers
A big well done to all of our children who have become great active travellers during the WOW walk to school challenge. We have completed our first month and have been really impressed with all the effort everyone has made to walk, cycle, scoot, hop off and park and stride.
Our most active class for October was awarded to Narwhals who received the certificate in celebration assembly.
A huge well done to all those children who managed 3 active travels a week to earn themselves a WOW October badge.
Good luck to all classes in earning the certificate for the most active travellers in November.
ANOTHER HUGE CONGRATULATIONS!
Silver award!
Congratulations to everyone is has contributed to us achieving our silver award!
New Recycling Posters
To help everyone at Redfield use our new recycling bins effectively, Eco- club have visited each class and presented them with our helpful new recycling posters.
Introducing our newest members of Eco-Club
We have some exciting new members of eco club to introduce.
From year 1- Mabli & Lyra
Year 2 – Minnie & Poppy (absent from photo)
Year 3 – Laura & Ayuub
Year 4- Aurelia, Freddie, Sam, Isla.
We also want to take the opportunity to say a massive thank you to all our previous members and all their hard work!
Eco Team 2018-2019
Meeting with caretaker Ray
Eco-Team met with our school’s caretake, Ray. We wanted to get his views on recycling in our school (especially after we put new bins in place last year) and find out if we the Eco-Team and the school could be doing more to help. Ray has said he thinks the new bins are great and the school is starting to recycle more effectively. However, we could help him and the cleaning staff more by:
•Ensuring we take the food bins outside every break time
•Going to each class and explaining what can and cannot go into each bin
•Setting up a cardboard drop-off point as cardboard cannot go into paper bins
•Meet with Ray next term to see if the changes we have made have helped.
Travel Tracker with living streets
A HUGE WELL DONE
A huge well done to Eco-Team who have helped Redfield achieve the Eco-Schools Bronze Award. We are very close to achieving the Silver award too!
A big eco-thankyou
A huge thank you to these wonderful children for all their hard word over the last year with Eco-School. You have achieved so much and have put in so much effort. Two members of this team will remain on the new Eco-Team to support the new children joining.
World oceans day 8/6/2018
For World Oceans Day this year Eco Team lead some activities throughout the day to educate others about the dangers of plastic in ocean. We also held a Water Festival to engage children in the day. In our Water Festival we tried to save fish from plastic, reuse clothes to make a patch work blanket and we had activities that looked at the amount of water that goes into the production of different materials and food. We also raised £89 for Project Ocean.
THE BIG PEDAL RESULTS
We all tried hard to join in this year's Big Pedal. We enjoyed getting on our bikes and scooters and enjoying the great weather we had. We were lucky to have Jo from the Sustains charity come in and deliver an assembly.
At the end of the two weeks we positioned:
For all schools taking part: 165/495
Regionally: 9/49
We are really proud of this as we are still a developing school. Imagine what we can achience once all classes are full!
The Big pedal 2018
This year we are participating in Sustran's Big Pedal. It starts on Monday 23rd April
and will finish on Friday 4th May. The Eco-Team planned and delivered an assembly
to the whole school to promote the challenge. The aim is to try and get at least 15%
of the school cycling or scooting to school. The Big Pedal aims to encourage more
families to leave the cars behind and duct of the books and scooters. Here are some
Going for green
These are the steps we to achieve and cover in order to get each award.
Eco Team bake sale
The Eco Team had their first Bake Sale to raise money to spend on developing the school grounds. They raised £100, thank you to all of you who bought cakes!
