Category: ‘Green Schools Programme’

Jan 22- DC for bees in the orchard community

January 7, 2022

Dear Niall Crofton,

Thank you for registering your DCs for Bees Orchard.

We are delighted to attach your Certificate of Participation in recognition of your involvement and commitment to making a difference to our pollinators across Ireland.

If you have agreed to allow the National Biodiversity Data Centre to contact you with regards to their Pollination Count, they will be in touch with you in 2022.

Our thanks once again, for taking such an interest and involved role in our DCs for Bees Orchards in the Community project. We hope both you and our pollinators reap the benefits of your beautiful orchards for many years to come.

Thanks again!

DCs for Bees Orchards in the Community Team
Orchards Certificate St. Brendan’s Boys Primary School

May 18- Community garden

May 29, 2018

It was a great workshop delivered by the Irish Archeology Field School and assisted by the students of Indiana State University.

The boys found out how mammoths were hunted and about how the ink (oak gall), that Leonardo Da Vinci wrote with was made!

Thanks to Ms Pilkington and her Green school committee for attending and Rebekah Keavney for organising and inviting us down
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May 18- Green schools work

May 21, 2018

St Brendan’s PS
Green School / Tidy town report 2017 / 2018

We have built upon the award of our 5th green flag – Biodiversity – this school year. Last year was very hands on in learning and developing our school in terms of Bio-diversity so we were delighted to be awarded the flag.
We have placed all 5 flags / awards on display on new signs for each of our school pillars on Moorpark St so as you drive by you can get a sense of where the school is at. We also try our best to ensure that the front of school looks its best for residents and locals passing with painted front wall etc.
We had to remove a large tree from inside school grounds as it was blocking light to resident house. Tree surgeon removed carefully and chopped up. Branches were shredded and placed under our apple trees to provide soft landing for boys in school garden. Truck was chopped into pieces. 20 parts were used by LCA students on placement to create a log hop area under trees which is safe to use at breaktime. The rest was chopped and offered as prize ( firewood) at Christmas Draw. The winner ( Michael Loughnane ) donated the wood to Vincent de Paul so we got the boys to pack 60 bags of timber which were given out to needy families at Christmas. – Green and worthwhile use for the old tree !!
First task was to elect a new Green school committee which would lead the school guided by Teacher Ms Sarah Pilkington and Ms Paula Doyle. The elections were hotly contested and the boys got straight into action with their plans for this year. First task was to accept the schools award from Birr Tidy towns for 2017 and with it came a pot with seeds to sow for our school so boys were delighted.
Our school garden badly needed a revamp / clean up as we were not getting good use from it and under health and safety it was dangerous – slippery decking. The project cost € 10,000 and we were supported through our Catering partner Glanmore Foods, Our fantastic Parents Association and Birr Lions club. We now have our POLYTUNNELL planted with corn and tomatoes which will be great for our cooking classes.

We have brought groups of boys down to the community garden ( old market) under the instruction of Rebekah Keavney which they have really enjoyed. Last week they assisted with making hanging baskets for the town and got to bring one of them back to school too!
They looked at the area of recycling and waste and went on a visit to the recycling centre here in Birr where they learned a lot. They also took part in National Spring clean week where they used the gloves and litter pickers to do a litter pick of high st and Moorpark st areas. Each week teams of boys do litter picks inside the school grounds to keep our school neat and tidy. The boys get school lunches with the idea that all papers / wrappers go home in lunch boxes which reduces waste at school.
We have welcomed An Taisce Officer Ciara on a few occasions to the school as she supports our Green Travel initiatives. We encourage boys to cycle to school and have received a grant to give all boys in 5th class four sessions of cycle training. This will be provided by Birr OEC as we support local. Ciara did another day of cycle training and awareness with classes in October and has another survey and information day in June. We have signed up to take part in the lunchtime cycle around Birr in June. We also have had 3 scoot to school days where we set up ramps at break time and provide a supervised area for boys to scoot and cycle which is very popular.
The Wild schools prog started in Sept / Oct with Lynn and all classes took part. Unfortunately circumstances meant that Lynn could not continue but the boys enjoyed the prog and Lynn showed us the great opportunities that exist in our school to develop our school habitats.
We have a great link with Birr Tidy Towns and appreciate the great work that they do on a voluntary basis. Our function is to try educate the next generation to take pride and responsibility for their school , road , area and town. We celebrate the work that Tidy Towns do and will continue to support their work in any way we can.
Best wishes for this summer from all at St Brendans PS Birr
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2017-2018 :Green Schools Committee

March 3, 2018

Green School Committee Members 2018

First Class: Fionn Whelahan, Callum Kennedy
Second Class: Aidan Kearns, Shane Dillon
Third Class: Dylan Carroll, Jack McAulay, Sean Scully
Fourth Class: Micheal McAteer, Leo Shannon
Fifth Class: Dylan Guilfoyle, Noah Richardson, Evan Brady ,Stephen Nolan
Sixth Class: Sam McAulay, Tymon Kaczmarczyk, Conor Kelly

Staff – Ms Pilkington / Ms Doyle

Overall aim- To continue and develop the Green schools an taisce programme within the schools.
Encourage and promote Green Travel.

Build up to the following year 18/19- new application / application renewal

Raising 5th Green Flag- 2017

July 20, 2017

We raised the Green flag for Bio-diversity at the end of June also. The committee spoke about all the work that had been carried out by pupils and teachers. The flag was raised by Mrs Lonergan and then all the boys got to get some ice-cream from the van. Thanks to our fantastic Parents Association for sponsoring the ice- creams which were very popular on the day!

School reopens for pupils on Thursday 31st August and we wish pupils and families a happy and safe summer.
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Birr Lunchtime cycle

June 18, 2017

Wednesday 14th June – 5th and 6th class boys with Offaly sports partnership
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Green flag awarded 2017- Biodiversity

June 13, 2017

Green flag awarded to St Brendan’s PS 2017
St Brendan’s PS were awarded their 5th Green Flag from An Taisce this month at the regional awards ceremony in Athlone. This was the culmination of 2 years work by our fantastic Green Schools committee led by teachers Sarah Pilkington and Paula Doyle. The committee was made up of pupils from each of our older classes. Jack and Dylan travelled to Athlone representing the boys and they look fab in full uniform as well—fair play lads! Pictured also is Mieke Scholte who is our long standing support from An Taisce. The committee will celebrate in style with lunch down town before June and we hope to raise the flag on the last day of this term—Friday 30th June,
Their green code for this flag was—
You and me, together can help Bio-diversity.
green schools flag award 2017

May 17- Green school award !!

April 28, 2017

Green Flag Awards Ceremony: Hudson Bay Hotel, Athlone

Dear Green-Schools Committee,

An Taisce has great pleasure in informing you that your application for the International Green Flag award has been successful. Congratulations on all your hard work and achievement, we hope you can celebrate with us at an upcoming National Green Flag awards ceremony.

Great work and well done to all involved-

PA / BOM memorial to Johnny Cleary RIP

October 25, 2015

News
St Brendan’s Boys NS Pay Moving Tribute To Late Johnny ClearyThursday, 22 October 2015

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THE ‘unwavering dedication’ and commitment to hurling coaching at St Brendan’s Boys Primary School, Birr by the late Johnny Cleary was marked in a moving tribute at the school last week.
In a fitting tribute to the much loved local man, an oak tree was planted in the school’s grounds along with the erection of a beautifully inscribed plaque, which reads: ‘This oak was planted by the Board of Management and Parents Association on Thursday, October 15th, 2015 in recognition of Johnny Cleary (RIP) for his unwavering dedication to hurling coaching in St Brendan’s Boys School.’
Members of the extended Cleary family attended the very emotive and moving event and were joined by staff, students, members of the Parents Association, the Board of Management and the local community.
Addressing the crowd, Damien Dillon, of the Parents Association, explained that in July last, ‘we lost a fantastic GAA man here in Birr’ with Johnny’s passing. ‘He was also a fantastic man within the school and in tribute, we planted this lovely tree in his memory.’
Niall Crofton, School Principal, noted that the oak tree would be in the school forever and was also overlooking the school’s newly unveiled hurling wall, which was a fitting tribute to Johnny.

TREE LAUNCH JOHNNY CLEARY

2015 Green school committee

October 25, 2015

New Green school committee elected.
New campaign towards biodiversity7A4A6589