Eco-Schools Minutes 20/11/08
Minutes taken by Simon Duncan
Meeting 20 November 2008, Cross Keys Pub
Present
Simon Duncan, Angie Jefferys, Ceri Treasure, Grant Slade, David Evans, Lisbeth Hyde-Price, George Berry, Lucia Chadwick, Kate Bielby, Mike Benson, Richard Livingston
Agreed SD note all the initial ideas, all present agreed to start working on various projects to report back for next meeting to agree how and when to implement projects
Angie Jefferys to be initial eco contact at school
Misc Points
Link in village community, eco points at playing field, church, post office, pubs etc
Rode festival 2009 could be 'sustainability theme', school should get involved
Walking to school, car share, walking bus, pick children up on the way to school
Ask kids what projects they would like to be involved with
Agreed all notes to be circulated by e-mail and web site to save paper, could be printed off at the school if parents did not have access to a computer!
Teaching / Curriculum
Green assembly : children / parents awarded a green smiley badge for an eco job / idea, e.g walked to school when usually drive
Eco school day / week
Google : 'The story of stuff' – where things come from how they are made
'I Am Tomorrow' – match schools with companies to work on projects, perhaps a small wind turbine etc
Prince's Rainforests project for schools to help class to learn about rainforests, biodiversity, climate change, indigenous people and ecosystems.
www.princesrainforestsproject.org/schools
See lesson plans on this website
Interactive activities/games left around school and playground which children discover with eco learning, such as a treadmill in the play ground that runs a light bulb, catching rain water etc
School Buildings and Land
Eco notice board at school
Measure, plot and graph schools electricity usage using Smart Meters (Owls), set targets to reduce amount of energy being used
Bike racks, cycling proficiency tests for year 4
Catch rainwater to use at school
Energy saving lightbulbs
Taps in the toilets left on by children, investigate touch taps
Cisterns do they leak?
Paper towels, hand dryers, Dyson air blades?
Eco loo paper
Measure classroom heat, thermometers
Energy audit, leaking fuel
Is insulation adequate
Children could compost and sell
Compost – Bicarso composting sawdust, locks in bacteria
Recycle food waste into compost and sell at the school
Wormery
Allotments
Solar power grants – research Beckington project
Wind turbine
School stream could run a small hydro electric power motor to light reception class
Treadmill for the children to drive a small engine
Energy saving strip lights
Radiator backs to save heat / energy
School Uniform
Recycled, 2nd hand, swap shop
White T shirts do not wash clean in eco friendly washing powder change colour for more practical use?
Some clothes are polyster, not ethical, fair trade
Swap old clothes for children and parents
Recycling
School Eco bag for children and parents, children create design
'Currently each person in the UK uses an average of 216 plastic bags a year'
Are we using recycled paper at school, pencils, eco fair trade friendly products
Stop any junk mail, contact post office
Cash for cans, 80p for 60 cans
Children's lunch meals, reduce Aluminium foil and other non recycable wrapping
Fair trade prizes and gifts
Lunch boxes given eco grading when children use less packaging
Action Agreed
Agreed to discuss initial ideas from first meeting, prioritize projects in to short, medium and long term, then split in to focus groups to work through projects
Could the following start to investigate the following projects to present in more detail to discuss at next meeting :
Eco School Notice Board
Simon and Angie Jefferys to discuss with Carolyn
School Environmental Audit
Need volunteers to start school audit of where we are and how we can improve to achieve eco school awards
Eco Bags
Find Fairtrade Eco bags, children design bag cover 'The Rode Bag'
Simon and Natalie Duncan
School Eco Web Site
Add eco notes to school website
Ceri Treasure
School Uniform
Investigate source of fair trade uniform
Kate Bielby
Monitor School Energy Use
Purchase a Smart Meter – wireless meter to track existing energy use and attempt to reduce energy costs. www.just-green.com sells smart meters for £44.99, Simon to approach FORS to help pay for a Smart Meter
Lucia mentioned she had a spare Smart Meter which she could donate to the school. Could she give this to Angie Jefferys at the school so the school can start to measure and graph how much energy they are using and what savings could be made
Grant and Richard both own 'Owls' energy monitors, could they discuss with Angie at school to help start plotting existing use
Companies sponsoring Eco projects at school
Dave Evans
School Compost
Children could help composte fruit and food waste, compost could be sold / given away
Solar panels
Ceri Treasure investigate Beckington Solar panel project and report back in more detail
Next Meeting
Every third Thursday of the month 8 pm Cross Keys
Next meeting Thursday 18 December, 8 pm Cross Keys
