A sustainable vision at a Tullamore school

Students for SHS TY were agog recently when they were invited to be representatives of their school at a lunch & Learn session with Irish delegates on their way to the GOP Summit in Glasgow. Students Aoife Lynam and Caoimhe Gillespie commented that they were delighted to get the opportunity to showcase the initiatives used in their school to reduce the use of plastic.

“The delegates were really interested in our work to date, and I was really surprised at that” said Aoife “because they were stuck by the depth of our research and the quality of our presentations.”

Caoimhe said “I was delighted to get the opportunity to showcase the hard work of our class. This project is more than just a project for us, it is a vision for our group on how we can become a single use plastic-free school.”

The girls enjoyed a presentation on the Dingle Peninsula 2030 project, and in particular interview with Irish farmers who were working towards a carbon neutral environment.

“It’s great to see that we have an impact and that we are listened to” said Caoimhe and Aoife followed with “I hope our project goes far beyond Tullamore, the local is the national and international now!”

Principal Pauline Mc Kenna added to the girls experience by announcing that the Sacred Heart School had yet again been chosen by Microsoft Europe as a sample of sustainable schools using digital technology.

“We were approached some time ago to ask if we would be willing to be interviewed about our move towards a more sustainable working environment and to be honest, we were delighted to be noticed for our innovative vision” explained Pauline.

The Scared Heart School has reduced paper and carbon use by over 80% over the last five years but Deputy Principal, Orla Healy, explains that it reaches far beyond the physical reductions.

“We have reduced copy and book use, reduced travel to in-service for staff – most of which can be either given in -house now or accessed on Webinar. We are one of the only schools in Ireland to have four members of staff qualified as Microsoft Innovative Educators and that means that the staff of the SHS can access much of their professional development in-house now.”

But Orla further explained “It’s also about having a sustainable workplace, where systems are easing the burdens of work both on staff and students and making access to information and know- how as simple as possible. And it’s nice to be acknowledged as a leading school in Irish education.”

The Sacred Heart School will hope to launch the short film highlighting their school as a leading innovator in Irish education in the new year.