Issue 17, Summer 2011
Issue 17, Summer 2011 Issue 17, Summer 2011
GREEN LINKS Education for Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship Newsletter Issue 17, Summer 2011 Eco Schools reach the big 50! An outstanding 50% of schools in the Caerphilly county borough have now achieved the Eco School Green Flag award. This is an impressive achievement highlighting the dedication and commitment to sustainable development and global citizenship by schools in the Caerphilly county borough. 90 of the 91 schools in the Caerphilly county borough have achieved an Eco School award to date. Out of the 46 schools to achieve Eco School Green flag status, 21 schools have achieved their 2 nd Eco School Green flag award and 5 schools have achieved their 3 rd Green Flag award and are now working towards the Eco Schools Platinum Award. Our challenge now is to support every school in the county borough to help them achieve the prestigious Eco School Green Flag award and to embed Education for Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship throughout the school curriculum and ethos. Coordinated in the Caerphilly county borough by Tracy Evans, the councils Education for Sustainable Development Officer, the international Eco Schools programme makes environmental awareness and action a central part of school life for the whole school community.
- Page 3 and 4: Yellow Woods Challenge Green Pupils
- Page 5 and 6: Eco School Green Flag Renewals - Ne
- Page 7 and 8: Caerphilly Flower Festival 2011 Chi
- Page 9 and 10: www.sustainablecaerphilly.co.uk Kid
- Page 11 and 12: National Walk to School Week Lets W
- Page 13 and 14: www.ecologycymru.com ECOLOGY CYMRU
- Page 15 and 16: WHAT HAVE SCHOOLS BEEN UP TO! Tynew
- Page 17 and 18: WHAT HAVE SCHOOLS BEEN UP TO! Tynew
- Page 19 and 20: WHAT HAVE SCHOOLS BEEN UP TO! Pentw
- Page 21 and 22: RESOURCES BBC Breathing Places www.
- Page 23 and 24: Growing Schools www.growingschools.
- Page 25 and 26: TRAINING CAT Education Centre In Oc
- Page 27 and 28: CONGRATULATIONS ECO SCHOOLS PROGRAM
- Page 29 and 30: Look who’s an Eco School in your
- Page 31 and 32: Look who’s an Eco School in your
- Page 33: Do you have something you would lik
GREEN LINKS<br />
Education for Sustainable Development & Global<br />
Citizenship Newsletter<br />
<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>17</strong>, <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
Eco Schools reach<br />
the big 50!<br />
An outstanding 50% of schools in the<br />
Caerphilly county borough have now<br />
achieved the Eco School Green Flag<br />
award. This is an impressive<br />
achievement highlighting the dedication<br />
and commitment to sustainable<br />
development and global citizenship by<br />
schools in the Caerphilly county<br />
borough.<br />
90 of the 91 schools in the Caerphilly county borough have achieved an Eco School award to<br />
date. Out of the 46 schools to achieve Eco School Green flag status, 21 schools have<br />
achieved their 2 nd Eco School Green flag award and 5 schools have achieved their 3 rd Green<br />
Flag award and are now working towards the Eco Schools Platinum Award.<br />
Our challenge now is to support every school in the county borough to help them achieve the<br />
prestigious Eco School Green Flag award and to embed Education for Sustainable<br />
Development & Global Citizenship throughout the school curriculum and ethos.<br />
Coordinated in the Caerphilly<br />
county borough by Tracy Evans,<br />
the councils Education for<br />
Sustainable Development<br />
Officer, the international Eco<br />
Schools programme makes<br />
environmental awareness and<br />
action a central part of school<br />
life for the whole school<br />
community.
Yellow Woods Challenge<br />
Green Pupils from across the Caerphilly county borough have been rewarded for helping<br />
to recycle thousands of copies of yellow pages directories.<br />
In total, 50 local schools took part and pupils collected an impressive 2,597 directories for<br />
recycling. This year the prize money amounted to £2,350 and was shared amongst 19<br />
winners in three categories based on school size.<br />
A special presentation award ceremony took place at Penallta House to present the<br />
winning schools with their awards.<br />
Winning Schools:<br />
Small Schools (Up to 120 pupils):<br />
Deri Primary School – 3 rd Place, £150 prize<br />
money<br />
Cwm Glas Infants – 5 th Place, £100 prize<br />
money<br />
Medium Schools (121 – 230):<br />
Hendre Infants School – 2 nd Place, £250 prize money<br />
Bedwas Junior School – 4 th Place, £100 prize money<br />
Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Gwyddon, 5th place, £100 prize money<br />
Bryn Primary, 7th place, £50 prize money<br />
Ysgol Bro Sannon, 7th place, £50 prize money<br />
Coed y Brain Primary, 9th place, £50 prize money<br />
Large Schools (231+ pupils):<br />
Derwendeg Primary, 1st place, £500 prize money<br />
St Gwladys Bargoed, 2nd place, £250 prize money<br />
Libanus Primary, 3rd place, £150 prize money<br />
Plas y Felin Primary, 4th place, £100 prize money<br />
Tynewydd Primary, 5th place, £100 prize money<br />
Rhiw Syr Dafydd Primary, 6th place, £100 prize money<br />
Newbridge School, 7th place, £50 prize money<br />
Ty Sign Primary School, 8th place, £50 prize money<br />
Cwmcarn Primary School, 9th place, £50 prize money<br />
Cefn Fforest Primary School, 10th place, £50 prize money
Tread Lightly Education Resource<br />
Tread Lightly is a free climate change education and engagement<br />
programme offered by Taking It Global (TIC), with the generous support of<br />
the Staples Foundation for Learning.<br />
Tread Lightly features innovative online educational tools and resources,<br />
designed to empower youth to reduce their ecological footprints and take<br />
action on climate change.<br />
Resources include the ‘Footprint Calculator’, ‘Low Carbon Lunch Challenge’<br />
and ‘Commitment to the Tread Lightly Challenge’.<br />
For more information and to sign up to Tread Lightly to take steps towards a<br />
more sustainable future visit http://treadlightly.tigweb.org<br />
Teachers Toolkit:<br />
An interdisciplinary educational resource developed to empower secondary<br />
school students to become environmental stewards and leaders.<br />
Virtual Classroom:<br />
Facilitate engaging, collaborative learning experiences in a private secure<br />
online environment. Teachers can create their own personalised Tread<br />
Lightly virtual classroom, equipped with blogs, maps, image galleries, live<br />
video chats, discussion boards and online file storage.<br />
Video Conference:<br />
Connect with other classrooms around the world through video conferencing<br />
to discuss climate change related issues.
Eco School Green Flag Renewals – New Procedure<br />
As part of the Eco Schools programme Keep Wales Tidy have introduced a<br />
formal procedure to encourage schools to adhere to the green flag renewal<br />
timeframe and to ensure schools receive support working through the Eco<br />
Schools programme.<br />
In order to ensure that the above system is upheld, the following procedure<br />
has been introduced by Keep Wales Tidy.<br />
• A formal letter addressed to the head teacher is sent to the school<br />
six months before Green Flag status is due to expire. The letter will<br />
remind the school that an application for Green Flag renewal will be<br />
due by the 2 nd anniversary of the award.<br />
• After the 2 nd anniversary of the award, with no application having<br />
been received, another letter is sent to the school, addressed to the<br />
head teacher. In this letter will be stated that the last deadline for<br />
application to be received is within 30 school days.<br />
• If the school has not sent an application by the last deadline, a<br />
standard letter will be sent to the head teacher advising that Green<br />
Flag status has been removed. They will no longer have the<br />
permission to display the Green Flag or use the award logo on school<br />
documents. The school will be encouraged to continue working<br />
towards Green Flag status, but when they do apply for status again, it<br />
will be for the 1 st Flag.
Caerphilly Flower Festival <strong>2011</strong><br />
Children's Floral Wheelbarrow Competition<br />
25 th & 26 th June <strong>2011</strong><br />
For the 4 th year running, the prestigious Caerphilly Flower Festival will include the very<br />
popular Children’s Floral Wheelbarrow Competition<br />
To enter this years competition organisations must register their entry with Stacey Francis,<br />
Events Officer at events@caerphilly.gov.uk or telephone 01443 866390. An application<br />
form will then be distributed for completion. The closing date for entries will be Monday 20 th<br />
June <strong>2011</strong>. Visitors to the Flower Festival will be able to vote for their favourite floral<br />
wheelbarrow and their will be a fantastic prize for the winning entry.<br />
Previous entries
Caerphilly Flower Festival <strong>2011</strong><br />
Children's Floral Wheelbarrow Competition<br />
25 th & 26 th June <strong>2011</strong><br />
Entry Criteria:<br />
• Organisations/Individuals will be required to provide their own Floral Wheel Barrow; this can<br />
be of steel or timber construction.<br />
• Completed wheel barrows must be delivered to Caerphilly Tourist Information Centre –<br />
Lower Plateau by 9:00am on Saturday 25 th June where they will be displayed from 10.00am<br />
on Saturday 25 th June until 4.00pm on Sunday 26 th June.<br />
• Council Staff will look after the Floral Wheel Barrows, store them overnight and return them<br />
for display for the Sunday of the event.<br />
• Parks Services Staff will facilitate and manage the judging element of the competition and<br />
notify all organisations of the winner as soon as possible after the event.<br />
• Organisations must make arrangements to collect their Floral Wheel Barrows from the<br />
display area between 4:00pm & 5:00pm on Sunday evening of the 26 th of June.<br />
• Photographs of the winning entry will form part of the Parks Services ‘Wales in Bloom’ <strong>2011</strong><br />
entry. Please label up you barrow with the organisations name.<br />
• Please remember this is a children’s competition. We will determine age categories for<br />
prizes, if necessary, following an analysis of entries received.<br />
• Children up to and including 16 years of age can submit entries.<br />
• A collection / delivery service is available is required.<br />
Previous entries
Solar Schools Resource Pack<br />
As part of the Caerphilly Solar Schools Project, which involved installing solar PV on nine<br />
schools in the Heads of the Valley area, funding was secured by United Welsh Housing<br />
Association to develop an education resource pack to support the educational benefits of the<br />
project.<br />
The Solar Schools Resource Pack has been developed to provide schools with information<br />
and ideas to deliver renewable energy education into the school ethos and curriculum.<br />
The resource pack will be launched at the end of May <strong>2011</strong> and a pack will be sent out to<br />
every school in the Caerphilly county borough in June <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
The resource pack contains lesson plans and<br />
assembly plans written by primary and secondary<br />
school teachers from schools in the Caerphilly<br />
county borough. The pack will support teachers<br />
delivering the topics through the National<br />
Curriculum and Eco Schools Programme.<br />
The pack also identifies the free resources<br />
available for schools to download from the<br />
Internet. We researched most of the resources<br />
available and listed the most popular sites to<br />
make it easier for schools to know what’s<br />
available to them.
www.sustainablecaerphilly.co.uk<br />
Kids find out how to be greener, healthier and happier with the Green Grin o<br />
meter<br />
Caerphilly CBC had been working with the Welsh Local Government Association<br />
(WLGA) and Torfaen and Carmarthenshire County Borough Councils to secure funding<br />
to develop the Green Grin o meter, to help raise awareness and understanding of<br />
sustainable development and global citizenship to children throughout Wales.<br />
The Green Grin o meter was developed by the New Economics Foundation and<br />
Homemade Digital. The work was carried out as a bespoke project under the WLGA’s<br />
(Welsh Local Government Association) Sustainable development framework for local<br />
authorities. The Caerphilly CBC ustainable Development Team are in the process of<br />
developing a Welsh version of the Green Grin o Meter, which should go live during the<br />
summer term.<br />
Visit the Sustainable Caerphilly website www.sustainablecaerphilly.co.uk to access the<br />
Green Grin o meter.<br />
Children answer a series of eleven questions looking at their life and feelings to<br />
calculate their score on the Green Grin o meter. Their score is made up of three parts,<br />
health, happiness and ecological footprint. Depending on their score they then receive<br />
top tips on how to improve their score and live a more sustainable lifestyle.<br />
The Green Grin o meter has been developed in consultation with primary school<br />
children from Markham Primary School in Caerphilly, Llanyrafon Primary School in<br />
Torfaen and Saron Primary School in Carmarthenshire.<br />
For more information about the Green Grin o meter please contact Tracy Evans,<br />
Education for Sustainable Development Officer at EVANSTA@caerphilly.gov.uk
www.sustainablecaerphilly.co.uk<br />
The Sustainable Caerphilly website is live, visit www.sustainabledevelopment.co.uk to<br />
find out how sustainable you are and find out more on the Sustainable Schools,<br />
Sustainable Living, Sustainable Businesses and Sustainable Council sections.<br />
Sustainable Schools Section:<br />
The sustainable schools section focuses on what’s happening in Caerphilly, Eco Schools,<br />
Teacher resources, ESDGC Documents, ESDGC News and topic areas.<br />
If you would like to include your school’s achievements on the website as School of the<br />
Month or as a case study for a particular topic area, please email your information and<br />
images to Tracy Evans, ESD Officer at EVANSTA@caerphilly.gov.uk<br />
The website gives hints and tips on how people can be more sustainable and features an<br />
online questionnaire to help people find out how sustainable they really are.<br />
Visitors can also make a pledge to make a difference to achieve a more sustainable future.
National Walk to School Week<br />
Lets Walk to School Together!<br />
Walk to School week is an action packed week that takes place in May each<br />
year as part of a National Walking Month.<br />
The theme for this year’s walk to school week is “Lets Walk to School Together”<br />
Walking is a great way to keep active. As a nation, our lifestyles are getting less<br />
active, so building walking into our daily routine, like walking to school or work, is<br />
really important.<br />
Walking is a truly sustainable way of getting around. We’re becoming a car<br />
dominated society, and we are struggling with the daily problems of air pollution<br />
and congestion as well as starting to see the impact of 200 years of growing<br />
carbon emissions.<br />
Getting cars off the road has obvious environmental benefits, it can also help<br />
with the fight against childhood obesity. Currently only around half of seven to<br />
eleven year olds are doing the recommended one hour of moderate physical<br />
activity a day and the number of children travelling to school by car has doubled<br />
over the last 20 years. So it is essential to get kids moving. The journey to and<br />
from school is the perfect place to start.<br />
Visit www.walktoschool.org.uk for more information and to download free lesson<br />
plans and resources to support your walk to school week.
Free Your Feet – Secondary School Focus<br />
Free your Feet is a national whole school walking challenge for secondary<br />
schools.<br />
Students record their daily walking on a record card. Completed cards are<br />
entered into a prize draw to win high street vouchers. The challenge can<br />
take place any time during the school year and lasts for one week.<br />
Visit www.walktoschool.org.uk/our-projects/secondaryschools/walking-challenge<br />
to register your school and receive your<br />
free resource pack, while stocks last.<br />
Schools taking part will receive a free resource pack (while stocks last)<br />
containing:<br />
• A 10 minute DVD to play in assembly<br />
• Postcards for students to record their walking for the week<br />
• Posters for around the school<br />
• A £50 voucher for one winning school<br />
• A banner for railings<br />
You can choose when to run your challenge, which lasts for 5 days<br />
between April and July <strong>2011</strong>.
www.ecologycymru.com<br />
ECOLOGY CYMRU<br />
Talks and walks for schools....<br />
Hello.<br />
I am an Ecologist with over twenty years experience of studying birds, wildlife and<br />
plants. I would like to share this knowledge with you through my school visits.<br />
I deliver talks and walks on nature, especially our birds. During school visits I bring<br />
along a selection of bird feathers, skulls, beaks, feet, nests and eggs with an<br />
explanation of how they work and what they are made from. See a vulture’s wing<br />
feather, a stuffed barn owl, the world’s largest egg and much more. Pupils can see<br />
and hold many items for themselves.<br />
Such talks and walks are ideal for your school environmental group, eco class,<br />
forest schools, Science class or wildlife group. It is very important for the<br />
pupils/children to learn about the wildlife in their surroundings and this is brought<br />
for them into the classroom environment.<br />
I have CRB proof and testimonials if required. Talks and walks can range from<br />
about an hour to however long suits you. An optional guided nature walk is<br />
available if required.<br />
I can be contacted on 07530 627034 or via email at info@ecologycymru.com.<br />
Learn more about me on my website. Thank you, Neville....
WHAT HAVE SCHOOLS BEEN UP TO!<br />
Promote your achievements here!<br />
Share good practice and ideas with other schools.<br />
Email information and pictures to Tracy Evans, Education for Sustainable<br />
Development Officer at:<br />
EVANSTA@caerphilly.gov.uk<br />
Tynewydd Primary School<br />
On 21st Oct 2010 Miss Stark told us that our school was spending a<br />
huge amount of money on paper towels.<br />
We wanted to reduced the number of paper towels used.We looked at<br />
how much money we spent and decided to design posters to remind<br />
pupils to only use 1 paper towel at a time. Millie’s design was chosen to<br />
be positioned around the school.<br />
Only use 1 paper towel<br />
We want to save energy!<br />
Poster designed by Millie Davies
WHAT HAVE SCHOOLS BEEN UP TO!<br />
Tynewydd Primary School<br />
Clean, Green & Healthy Road Show<br />
On Tuesday 25 th January the clean, green and healthy road show visited<br />
Tynewydd Primary School.<br />
The performance highlighted the importance of keeping ourselves healthy and<br />
caring for our environment.<br />
We used the materials provided by the company before the visit so that we knew<br />
the lyrics to the songs and could join in.
WHAT HAVE SCHOOLS BEEN UP TO!<br />
Tynewydd Primary School<br />
“I would like to see the road show again because it was fun and exciting.” Millie<br />
Davies<br />
“The road show was very enjoyable, I would like to see them again.” Emily Powell<br />
“I thought that it was funny and can teach people a lot about keeping our world<br />
clean.” Ethan Davies
WHAT HAVE SCHOOLS BEEN UP TO!<br />
Tynewydd Primary – Litter Pick<br />
On Wednesday 2 nd February we did a litter pick.<br />
What we collected:<br />
Sweet wrappers, cigarette ends, cans, plastic, paper, tissues, bottle tops, cable ties,<br />
carrier bags, and ribbon.<br />
We spent 15 minutes in the rain collecting all the litter that we could from around<br />
the school grounds<br />
In the car park we found bits of paper that had been dropped by the people who collect<br />
recycling. Three plastic containers had blown off the saplings that we had planted.We<br />
think that most of the wrappers were blown in like cans and cigarettes. Every thing<br />
collected was wet. Which meant that our weights were heavier than dry weights.<br />
Leaves 40grams<br />
General rubbish 426 grams<br />
We recycled the paper, cans and plastic items that were found and put the leaves<br />
in with our green waste collection.<br />
Created by Emily Powell and Lewis Farrington-Cox<br />
Making bird feeders<br />
We made misters out of lard, seeds,<br />
reasons and some more ingredients to<br />
make bird feeders.we put them out for<br />
the birds to eat also we put some water<br />
for the birds to drink.<br />
Created by Abbie Williams and Ethan Davies
WHAT HAVE SCHOOLS BEEN UP TO!<br />
Pentwynmawr Primary School Tidy Towns Work<br />
Newbridge Partnership and<br />
Tidy Towns worked together to<br />
clear the area by Pentwynmawr<br />
Bus Stop<br />
Pupils replanted the area with<br />
heathers and formiums.
WHAT HAVE SCHOOLS BEEN UP TO!<br />
Pentwynmawr Primary School Fairtrade & Reuse<br />
Children and their parents and staff from Pentwynmawr Primary School have been<br />
learning more about Fairtrade and waste minimisation by holding a fashion show with a<br />
difference recently.<br />
Pupils in years 5 and 6 have<br />
been taking part in workshops<br />
over recent months to help them<br />
understand all about Fairtrade<br />
and the impact they can have<br />
during their everyday lives, with<br />
the help of Fairtrade Volunteer<br />
Jess Amos and the Caerphilly<br />
CBC Sustainable Development<br />
team.<br />
The children also learnt about waste<br />
minimisation and how they could help reduce<br />
the amount of waste being sent to landfill by<br />
reusing materials. The pupils also had the<br />
opportunity to design Fairtrade organic<br />
T.shirts, complete with their own green<br />
message.<br />
This hard work culminated in a Fairtrade/<br />
Reuse Fashion Show where the pupils<br />
showcased their Fairtrade outfits made from<br />
reused/ recycled materials.<br />
For more information about the Fairtrade Schools Scheme please contact Tracy Evans,<br />
Education for Sustainable Development Officer at EVANSTA@caerphilly.gov.uk
DOGS TRUST FREE WORKSHOPS<br />
Looking for ideas for personal and social education?<br />
Dogs trust is inviting your school to take part in one of their FREE<br />
educational workshops.<br />
The curriculum linked<br />
workshops for 5 to 11 year<br />
olds use fun activities to<br />
explore the theme of dog<br />
ownership<br />
Lynn Jones, Dogs Trust<br />
Education Officer for<br />
South East Wales.<br />
Our lively interactive workshops are:<br />
• Tailor made to suit different ages, abilities and learning styles.<br />
• Designed to develop pupils confidence, thinking, self esteem,<br />
communication and teamwork.<br />
• Designed to deliver activities that support Key Stage 1 & 2 attitudes and<br />
values.<br />
Please call me on 01656 729379 / 07843 348419 or email<br />
lynne.jones@dogstrust.org.uk . Alternatively visit<br />
www.learnwithdogs.co.uk for more information.
RESOURCES<br />
BBC Breathing Places<br />
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/breathingplaces<br />
Although schools can no longer sign up to Breathing Places the free downloadable teacher<br />
resources are still available to schools. Even if you haven’t heard of Breathing Places, you<br />
will hopefully find the teacher resources useful.<br />
Resources available in English and Welsh.<br />
Look Around Worksheet<br />
Aims to improve children’s observational skills and is an ideal introduction or starter activity for<br />
other environmental activities.<br />
Spot Some Ladybirds<br />
The ladybird surveys are real science, ideal for school classes and nature clubs. The<br />
resources will help you plan a ladybird hunt and identify and<br />
record species.<br />
Get Tree Planting<br />
Help your pupils learn about trees through a range of practical activities.<br />
Resources include a curriculum guide, and activity sheets covering leaf bag, seed to trees, nut<br />
bags, paper recycling, general recycling and tree planting.<br />
Make a Splash for Nature<br />
Take a plunge and find out how to make your school grounds a haven for frogs, dragonflies<br />
and other water-loving wildlife.<br />
All the information you need to get started can be downloaded free. Teachers notes will help<br />
you to create mini ponds and a mini bug garden. Once created, these mini wetlands will soon<br />
be teaming with wildlife. You will be able to use the ponds and bug garden as a focal point for<br />
your pupils to learn about water and how wildlife uses it.
RESOURCES<br />
Woodland Trust Nature Detectives<br />
www.naturedetectives.co.uk/schools/<br />
Free Resources for Schools – available in Welsh and English<br />
Green Tree Schools Award<br />
Take part in activities = Earn points = Receive free tree packs<br />
Points are awarded when your school participates in activities. Activities include:<br />
Ancient Tree Hunt<br />
Reduced CO2 Emissions<br />
Recycling Christmas Cards/ Inkjet Cartridges/ Mobile Phones<br />
Yellow Woods Challenge<br />
Visit a Woodland<br />
Share your Woodland Words & Images<br />
A Woodland Perspective<br />
Wildlife Trails<br />
Register for free to start improving your school environment by working towards the Green<br />
Tree Schools Award.<br />
Pond Dipping Ideas and Snail Racing Kit<br />
Includes a whole year of structured<br />
activities.<br />
Free Activity Packs<br />
Download by theme:<br />
Easter Pack, Outdoor Play, Mini Beast Pack, Trees, Birds, Adventure Pack: Picnic Kit,<br />
Ladybirds, Games Pack, Photography, Storytelling, <strong>Summer</strong> Pack, Winter Pack, Autumn<br />
Pack, Spooky Ideas, Fungi, Fruits and Seeds.<br />
Free Booklets – Fun Outdoor Ideas for the Whole Year<br />
Contains 44 ideas for playtime.<br />
Welsh Resource Pack<br />
Some favourite Nature Detective activities translated into Welsh
Growing Schools<br />
www.growingschools.org.uk<br />
RESOURCES<br />
New Resources available to schools<br />
If you are a teacher looking for interesting and innovative ways of incorporating outdoor<br />
learning into your lessons, this section holds a wide variety of resources related to the<br />
outdoor classroom.<br />
Get Your Hands Dirty!<br />
A Free resource box and accompanying booklet to help teachers considering the issues<br />
involved in growing plants or keeping animals in your school grounds.<br />
The Growing School Garden!<br />
Learning outside the classroom – the manifesto aims to encourage more widespread use<br />
of educational opportunities away from the classroom and to inspire schools, and those<br />
organisations that support learning outside the classroom, to provide high quality<br />
experiences or all children and young people.<br />
Enjoy - Engage - Learn – Achieve!<br />
Using gardens and woodland as a learning resource for SEN and EBD pupils. Resource<br />
designed to help KS3-4 teachers of children with special educational needs develop high<br />
quality learning experiences. The term special needs includes emotional and behavioural<br />
needs, sensory and physical needs, communicative and interactive needs, and cognitive<br />
and learning needs.<br />
Growth Through Growing!<br />
Two booklets available highlighting ways in which growing related activities are being used<br />
to support the learning of students with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, and<br />
those with special educational needs.
Christian Aid<br />
RESOURCES<br />
www.christianaid.org.uk/TeachinbgResources/<br />
Introduce the global dimension to your school day!<br />
Download or order easy to use assemblies, classroom activities and games to help students<br />
engage with world issues and reflect on their own role as a global citizen.<br />
Primary School Teaching Resources<br />
Assembly of the month:<br />
No School Today – About the <strong>2011</strong> Global Campaign for Education<br />
Water Works – About World Water Day and Ethiopia<br />
Is It Fair – About Fairtrade<br />
Curriculum Linked Classroom Activities:<br />
Abu lives in Kenya, Become a transformer, Crazy climate, Flush, Goat for it.<br />
Secondary School Teaching Resources<br />
Assembly of the month:<br />
Send my sister to school – About the <strong>2011</strong> Global Campaign for Education<br />
Tapping into a new life – About World Water Day and Ethiopia<br />
Christian Aid uncovered – Exploring global issues ad the work of Christian Aid<br />
Curriculum Linked Classroom Activities:<br />
Changing Lives, Flush, Harvest Lesson Plan, Live Responsibly.
TRAINING<br />
CAT Education Centre<br />
In October CAT are running training courses for teachers to help them deliver Education for<br />
Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship through their particular subject.<br />
October:<br />
3 rd - Design & Technology Teachers<br />
4 th – Science Teachers<br />
5 th – Maths & ICT Teachers<br />
10 th – Arts & Languages Teachers<br />
11 th – Humanities Teachers<br />
12 th – Foundation Phase Teachers<br />
13 th - Primary Teachers – KS2<br />
<strong>17</strong> th – 14 –19 Learning Pathways Teachers<br />
18 th – The World of Work<br />
All courses will take place at the Centre for Alternative Technology from 10.00 – 3.00, and will<br />
include lunch, refreshments, and an introduction to CAT.<br />
Cost per day is £80.<br />
To find out more about a course or to book a place on a course contact CAT Education on<br />
01654 705983 or email education@cat.org.uk<br />
These courses will be targeted at KS3 and 4 teaching (with specific training days for<br />
primary teachers and Foundation Stage practitioners) but some of the learning will give<br />
teachers the background information necessary to teach at a higher or lower level.<br />
The aims of the courses:<br />
• Participants will be inspired and empowered to bring ESDGC into their classrooms,<br />
through knowledge, understanding and practical activities.<br />
• They will have a sound understanding of the Common Understanding for ESDGC and<br />
how it relates to the new curricula for Wales and England.<br />
• They will understand important, current issues of Climate Change and Eco Footprinting.<br />
• They will begin to learn how to integrate ESDGC as a whole school management<br />
approach.
National What Day/ Week/ Month<br />
MAY <strong>2011</strong><br />
1 st –7 th – COMPOST AWARENESS WEEK<br />
www.compost.org.uk<br />
Aims to encourage people to take action and<br />
support composting at all scales and to use<br />
compost<br />
28th May/12th June: National Wildlife<br />
Week<br />
www.wildlifetrusts.org<br />
Check out the website for more information<br />
JUNE <strong>2011</strong><br />
15 th –21 st - CHRISTIAN AID WEEK<br />
www.christianaid.org.uk<br />
14th May: World Fairtrade Day<br />
www.wftday.org<br />
A celebration of Fairtrade Internationally<br />
16 th –21 st - British Sandwich Week<br />
www.sandwich.org.uk<br />
The sandwich industry celebrates the British<br />
Sandwich. Send in details of your most<br />
unusual and favourite sandwich<br />
9 th –13 th - WALK TO LIVE WEEK<br />
www.walk2live.org.uk<br />
Annual sponsored walk run by, and for the<br />
benefit of primary schools. Walk 2 Live<br />
promotes the importance of healthy exercise<br />
while raising funds for the school/ community<br />
13 th FRUITY FRIDAY<br />
www.fruityfriday.org<br />
Annual awareness and fundraising campaign<br />
held by the World Cancer Research Fund to<br />
increase awareness of the link between<br />
nutrition and cancer awareness.<br />
16 th –20 th - WALK TO SCHOOL WEEK<br />
www.walktoschool.org.uk<br />
Encouraging pupils/ staff to walk to school<br />
20 th –26 th - RECYCLE NOW WEEK<br />
www.thebigrecycle.com<br />
Aims to encourage people to recycle more<br />
of their waste this summer<br />
13 th –<strong>17</strong> th - NATIONAL SCHOOL<br />
GROUNDS WEEK<br />
www.ltl.org.uk/schools_and_settings/progra<br />
mmes/primaryprogramme<br />
A week of focused activity encouraging<br />
schools to get outside and use their<br />
grounds<br />
19 th –22 nd - NATIONAL BIKE WEEK<br />
www.bikeweek.org.uk<br />
Designed to highlight real alternatives to the<br />
car for every day journeys<br />
25 th June – 1 st July - NATIONAL INSECT<br />
WEEK<br />
www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk<br />
Bringing the fascinating world of insects<br />
closer to you<br />
20 th –26 th June - Child Safety Week<br />
www.capt.org.uk/csweek<br />
Raising awareness of the causes of<br />
childhood accidents
CONGRATULATIONS<br />
ECO SCHOOLS PROGRAMME<br />
Congratulations to the following schools who achieved an Eco School<br />
award last term.<br />
Ysgol Penalltau<br />
Bronze Award<br />
Silver<br />
Pantside Primary School<br />
Ty Sign Primary School<br />
Green Flag<br />
Derwendeg Primary School Cwmaber Infants School<br />
2 nd Green Flag<br />
Libanus Primary School Hengoed Primary School<br />
Rhydri Primary School<br />
Bedwas High School<br />
3 rd Green Flag<br />
Llanfabon Infants School<br />
If you require support with your eco school work or want to know if your<br />
ready to apply for your bronze, silver or green flag award, please contact:<br />
Tracy Evans, ESD Officer on 01495 235141<br />
or email EVANSTA@caerphilly.gov.uk
Look who’s an Eco School in your cluster group -<br />
Share Ideas and Support Each Other<br />
School<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Bedwas High Green Flag (3 rd )<br />
Bedwas Infants<br />
Green Flag<br />
Bedwas Junior<br />
Green Flag (2 nd)<br />
Graig Y Rhacca Primary<br />
Green Flag<br />
Machen Primary<br />
Green Flag<br />
Tyn Y Wern Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
School<br />
Eco School Award<br />
St Cenydd School<br />
Silver<br />
Cwmaber Infants<br />
Green Flag<br />
Cwmaber Junior Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Cwm Ifor Primary<br />
Silver<br />
Hendre Infants<br />
Silver<br />
Hendre Junior<br />
Bronze<br />
Hendredenny Park Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Nantyparc Primary<br />
Silver<br />
Plasyfelin Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
School<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Blackwood Comprehensive<br />
Green Flag<br />
Blackwood Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Cefn Forest Primary<br />
Silver<br />
Fleur De Lys Primary<br />
Silver<br />
Pengam Primary<br />
Green Flag<br />
School<br />
Trinity Fields School & Resource Centre<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Bronze
Look who’s an Eco School in your cluster group -<br />
Share Ideas and Support Each Other<br />
School<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Newbridge School<br />
Silver<br />
Abercarn Primary<br />
Silver<br />
Crumlin Primary<br />
Bronze<br />
Cwmcarn Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Pantside Primary<br />
Silver<br />
Pentwynmawr Primary<br />
Green Flag<br />
Tynewydd Primary<br />
Green Flag<br />
School<br />
Cwmcarn High<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Bronze<br />
School<br />
Eco School Award<br />
St Martins Comprehensive Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Cwrt Rawlin Primary Green Flag (3 rd )<br />
St Helens Roman Catholic Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
St James Primary<br />
Silver<br />
Rhydri Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
The Twyn School Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
School<br />
Oakdale Comprehensive<br />
Rhiw-Syr-Dafydd Junior<br />
Pontllanfraith Primary<br />
Trinant Primary<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Bronze<br />
Silver<br />
Silver<br />
Bronze
Look who’s an Eco School in your cluster group –<br />
Share Ideas and Support Each Other<br />
School<br />
Heolddu Comprehensive<br />
Aberbargoed Primary<br />
Deri Primary<br />
Gilfach Fargoed Primary<br />
Park Primary<br />
St Gwladys Bargoed<br />
White Rose Primary<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Green Flag<br />
No Award<br />
Green Flag<br />
Green Flag (3rd)<br />
Silver<br />
Green Flag (3rd)<br />
Silver<br />
School<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Rhymney Comprehensive<br />
Green Flag<br />
Abertysswg Primary<br />
Silver<br />
Fochriw Primary<br />
Silver<br />
Bryn Awel Primary<br />
Green Flag<br />
Phillipstown Primary<br />
Bronze<br />
Pontlottyn Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Upper Rhymney Primary<br />
Silver<br />
White Rose Primary<br />
Silver<br />
School<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Lewis Girls School<br />
Bronze<br />
Lewis School<br />
Silver<br />
Coed y Brain Primary<br />
Silver<br />
Cwm Glas Infants<br />
Silver<br />
Derwendeg Primary<br />
Green Flag<br />
Glyn-Gaer Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Hengoed Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Llancaeach Junior Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Llanfabon Infants Green Flag (3 rd )<br />
Maesycwmmer Primary<br />
Green flag<br />
Tiryberth Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Ystrad Mynach Primary<br />
Bronze<br />
Greenhill Primary<br />
Silver
Look who’s an Eco School in your cluster group -<br />
Share Ideas and Support Each Other<br />
School<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Risca Community Comprehensive Bronze<br />
Risca Primary<br />
Green Flag<br />
Ty Isaf Infants Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Ty Sign Primary<br />
Silver<br />
Waunfawr Primary<br />
Silver<br />
School<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Pontllanfraith Comprehensive Bronze<br />
Argoed Primary<br />
Green flag<br />
Bryn Primary<br />
Green Flag<br />
Cwmfelinfach Primary<br />
Green Flag<br />
Libanus Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Markham Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Penllwyn Primary Green Flag (2 nd )<br />
Ynysddu Primary Green flag (2 nd )<br />
School<br />
Eco School Award<br />
Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni<br />
Silver<br />
Ysgol Bro Sannon<br />
Bronze<br />
YGG Fargoed<br />
Bronze<br />
YGG Caerffili Green Flag (3 rd )<br />
YGG Castell<br />
Silver<br />
YG Bro Alta<br />
Bronze<br />
YG Cwm Gwyddon<br />
Silver<br />
YG Trelyn<br />
Green Flag<br />
Ysgol Ifor Bach<br />
Silver<br />
Ysgol Y Lawnt<br />
Green Flag<br />
Ysgol Cwm Derwen<br />
Bronze<br />
Ysgol Gymraeg Penalltau<br />
Bronze
EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT<br />
& GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP RESOURCE BOXES<br />
Nineteen resource boxes have been developed to support schools and<br />
youth groups incorporating ESDGC into the school curriculum and youth<br />
work programme.<br />
The resource boxes cover the following topics:<br />
Recycling & Waste Minimisation:<br />
Music & Recycling<br />
Primary School Waste Audit<br />
Secondary Waste Audit<br />
Recycled Paper Making<br />
Composting<br />
Generic Recycling<br />
Recycling Display<br />
School Grounds:<br />
Mini Beast Grab &<br />
Go Kits<br />
Composting<br />
School Grounds<br />
Energy, Water & Global Citizenship:<br />
Energy<br />
Water<br />
Fairtrade & Global Citizenship (Primary)<br />
Fairtrade & Global Citizenship (Secondary)<br />
Visit the Resources page on the Sustainable Schools website<br />
(www.sustainablecaerphilly.co.uk to access the resource box booking<br />
form for <strong>2011</strong> or contact Tracy Evans, ESD Officer at<br />
EVANSTA@caerphilly.gov.uk
Do you have something you would like to be<br />
included in the next edition of Green Links?<br />
Achievements, forthcoming and successful events all welcome.<br />
Would you like to see your school in the ‘What have schools been up<br />
to!’ section.<br />
Please send any articles and photos by 11th July <strong>2011</strong> for issue<br />
18 Autumn <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
If you have any comments regarding the above information please<br />
contact:<br />
Tracy Evans, Education for Sustainable Development Officer on<br />
01495 235141<br />
or email : EVANSTA@caerphilly.gov.uk