Rusheen N.S. had a wonderful ceremony to celebrate Green Day in our school garden recently.  The school had worked hard for two years on the theme of energy, turning off lights, doing projects, visiting Burren Wind Farm, making turbines, etc.  We were then awarded our 2^nd Green Flag for energy at a ceremony in The Radisson Blu.

On Green Day we all dressed in green.  Mrs. Deasy raised the Green Flag, we sang songs, made speeches, said poems and chanted our rap “Wind, Water and The Sun”.  Afterwards we enjoyed hot dogs, tea, sandwiches, cakes and especially the rhubarb tarts and potato salad made by ourselves with food from our school garden.

We visited the wind farm at Burren. The tour guide, Chris, gave us lots of facts about the wind farm. First we went into the control room. There were loads of switches in there to control the electricity. Then we went into one of the turbines. There was a stairs to go to the first floor. There was a ladder to get to the third floor. On the third floor there was a lift.

1. It takes wind speeds of 3m per second to turn the vanes.

2.  The turbines were carried to the wind farm by big trucks with trailers 50 meters long.

3.  Wind turbines last for 20 years.

4.   It costs 6 million Euros to build a wind turbine.

5.  A standard wind turbine can power 28,000,000  kettles.

6.  The turbines in Burren are 82 m high.

7.  The blades are 41m long.

8.  The turbines are made in Northern Germany.

9.  The turbines are made from steel and fibreglass.

10.  The energy that comes from the wind turbines is  transported to the local substation at Clashavoon.

11.   The turbine exterior isn’t cleaned unless you count  the rain.

12. The first wind farm in Ireland was built in 1992 in  Bellacorick, Co. Mayo.

13.   The wind turbine has a lift.

14.   There are eight floors in each windmill.

15.    Each wind turbine can produce 20,000 volts.

16.  When you are at the top of them you move very slightly with the wind.

17.   The Red light in the centre is mainly for monitoring the wind speed so the windmill can shut down if necessary

18.  They last twenty years each.

19.   A standard Wind Turbine can power 13,479 fridges.

20.  If the vanes move at more than 27m/sec they  automatically stop turning for safety reasons.

Last week Julian came to the school to give the pupils a lesson on solar energy and wind energy.  She demonstrated the solar power light and how to use it.  You simply connect the light and the solar panel and put it where the light would shine.  Tom Buckley and Thomas Morgans won a VillageBoom lamp for creating the best green rap.

In Africa lots of people buy these lamps.  It enables them to work later, stay up later and do things that they would not normally be able to do.  The children get to pay for the lamps in small amounts through school.

On our green school notice board we have one of the lamps lighting up our fabulous energy notice board.

TOM BUCKLEY WITH THE VILLAGEBOOM

Last week 5^th and 6^th class bought a renewable energy science kit.  With it we made a working wind turbine that charged an AA battery.  We put the turbine out on a pole in the lawn.  When we adjusted the blades they turned in the wind and lit a led bulb.  This showed us it was generating electricity.  Then we attached a battery to the turbine and left it out for a long time to charge.  When it is fully charged we will make a helicopter and a car and when we put in the battery to them they will hopefully move.  So our wind turbine is generating electricity which will store in the battery and which will then power our car and helicopter.

Our Wind Turbine

We have been working hard for the past two years towards achieving our second Green Flag for the theme of Energy. The current Green Schools Committee is made up of:

Mr. Coakley, Mr. Twomey, Ms. Jessie Murphy, Mrs. Julianne O Leary

Pupils: Rang 6: Finn Stevenson, Clodagh O Riordan.

Rang 5: Nora-Kate O Leary, Shauna Lehane, Sarah Cuddihy, Michael O Riordan

Minutes are kept of each meeting and are typed up by the pupils. Information is communicated to staff, pupils and parents through newsletters, notes, verbal messages to each classroom and use of our Green Schools noticeboard. Over the past two years we have looked at our energy usage in relation to heating, lighting and electrical appliances and worked to reduce our energy bills. We will shortly be visited and inspected to see if we meet the requirements for our second green flag.

Our day of action was held on Tuesday, February 21st 2017. The main events included:

 Construction of Wind Turbine from Renewable Energy Science Kit

 Trialling of turbine in schoolyard and using energy created to light a bulb

 Energy Workshop in Senior classes with focus on renewable energy sources

 Demonstration of solar lamps and how they work (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th)

 Composing and performing “Energy Raps”

 Judging and prize giving ceremony for winning rap

 3rd and 4th class Energy poster competition

 3rd and 4th class Energy poetry writing competition

 Reading aloud of all poems and discussion of themes

 1st and 2nd class watch a video on windmills and wrote and displayed information sheets

on energy

 1st and 2nd class Windmill construction and display

 Junior and Senior Infants Energy and forces P.E. class

 Junior and Senior Infants Energy art work display

 Placing of “Múch na Soilse” labels on all light switches

 Switch Off Sheriffs checking all rooms and hallways for lights left on unnecessarily

Our Energy Rap

 Wind, water and the sun,

Is the energy source for the long run

Saving energy is really cool,

We save lots at Rusheen School,

We try to save it every day,

Turn off the lights when we go to play.

Wind, water and the sun,

Is the energy source for the long run

By saving energy all year round,

Money savings will be found,

all the world will benefit,

If we all get involved in it.

Wind, water and the sun,

Is the energy source for the long run

We save energy in this place,

If you use too much you’re a disgrace,

We save energy for the next generation,

By doing this we help every nation.

Wind, water and the sun,

Is the energy source for the long run

Ryan Leahy with his robot called EMTSR (Easy Made Toy Scrap Robot).  It plays the keyboard!

Our Parents’ Association have once again arranged a very successful clothes collection to raise funds for the school.  Well done to all involved.

Here are photos of the Lighthouses we made using recyclable materials.

In the last school year we were awarded our first green flag for Litter and Waste.  A new Green School’s Committee was formed in October.  The adult members are:  Mr. Coakley, Mr. Twomey (Teachers), Jessie Murphy our S.N.A., Julianne O’Leary (Parent).  Pupil members include Clodagh O’Riordan, Finn Stevenson, Conor Murray – Rang 5.  Rhiann McDermott, Brendan Mayer, Chloe O’Driscoll – Rang 6.

We have begun working towards our second Green Flag.   This time the theme is Energy.  Already we have carried out some energy surveys both for home and school.  We looked at the types of lights we use, we counted all of our electrical appliances, we learned how to read our electricity meter.  We will use the findings to set targets for our energy action plan.  We will keep you up to date as our work goes on.  So remember…Save Energy!  Save the Planet!!

We are delighted to announce that Muintir na Tire have awarded Rusheen N.S. the Green Flag for Litter & Waste Management.  A ceremony will take place later in the year to celebrate this achievement.

  RUSHEEN TO THE GREEN

G TO THE R TO THE EEN

WE ARE GREEN WE’RE RUSHEEN

IF YOU WANNA KNOW HOW TO BE A GREEN SCHOOL

LISTEN TO THIS RAP, IT’S REALLY COOL.

IF YOU WANNA GET A FLAG, PUT YOUR LITTER IN THE BAG,

TIN FOIL, PLASTIC SO UNCOOL,

PUT YOUR LUNCH IN A BOX ‘N TAKE IT TO SCHOOL

EAT IT ALL UP COS IT’S THE RULE.

WE RECYCLE, WE DON’T LITTER,

GO FOR A RUN, GET A LITTLE FITTER,

WE PLANT VEG DON’T YOU KNOW,

NOTHING PICKED THANKS SCARECROW.

WE DID A LOT OF THINGS ON OUR GREEN DAY,

WE DUG UP WEEDS PUT ON A DISPLAY,

PUT FAIRY HOUSES UP ON THE TREES,

PLANTED FLOWERS FOR THE BUTTERFLIES AND BEES.

RUSHEEN IS THE SCHOOL

WHERE GREEN IS THE RULE.

Rusheen N.S. Green School Committee was established on the 13^th of September, 2013.  Mr. Coakley and Mr. Twomey represent the School , Julian O’Leary was asked to represent the Board of Management and Cait Sheehan was asked to represent the Parents’ Association.  Pupils were then chosen based on their interest in Green School Affairs.  Pupils were also invited to apply for membership of the Green Schools Committee by outlining their ideas on how Rusheen National School could become a Green School.  They wrote speeches.  Thus, Maeve O’Shea, Sheila Mc O’Leary, Kia Stevenson, Tadhg Sheehan, Oisin O’Neill, Finn Stevenson and Eìreann O’Shea were all added to the committee based on the speeches they wrote.

The Green Schools Committee has already done a lot.  We have reviewed  the process of waste collection in the school, our use of lunch boxes , reviewed our bins and the way we use them.

Composting procedures have been improved  with Donal O’Leary visiting the school to help us in this process.

Used clothes collections have been held.  There has been lots of up-cycling of jars, etc. to produce Santas & Snowmen, for our Christmas Bazzar.

A shredder has been purchased to reduce paper waste in the bins.

Parents have been informed and encouraged to support the Green School Programme.  The pupils have created Posters to raise awareness of Litter & Waste issues.

Recycling of batteries under the wee scheme and mobile phones and ink cartridges has been hugely successful.

A notice board was bought and assembled in the hallway.

Staff are doing double sided photocopying as often as possible.

A Green Day was held in the school and evertthing green was highlighted on the day.

The Green School Committee for 2014/15 is Mr. Coakley, Mr. Twomey, Cait Sheehan, Julian O’Leary, Tadhg Sheehan, Oisin O’Neill, Kia Stevenson, Finn Stevenson and two new members, Chloe O’Driscoll and Clodagh O’Riordan.

Our action plan for the coming year will include a number of targets from last year and we will have some new ones as well.  Some of the actions agreed are to organise more used clothes collections. Continue use of Lunch Box Awareness, more use of shredder to reduce recycling.  Making Christmas Santas & Snowmen using glass jars, etc.  Expanding recycling program to include batteries, ink cartridges, etc.  Maintain the level of reduced waste.  Contact Jack & Jill Foundation re. boxes for mobile phones.  Visit the Inniscarra recycling centre.  Organise our Annual Green Day  School clean-up.  Provision of Green School Committee badges.  Litter pickers to be identified with bibs.  The establishment of a Green Page on our school website.

GREEN SCHOOL COMMITTEE 2014/15

GREEN QUIZ WINNERS

3RD & 4TH CLASS GREEN DAY

OZWALD COTTLEPOT: OUR GREEN SCARECROW

5TH & 6TH CLASS HARVESTING SCHOOL VEGETABLES

OUR GREEN SCHOOL NOTICEBOARD

OUR USED CLOTHES COLLECTION

LITTER AUDIT

MAKING SNOWMEN FOR CHRISTMAS BIZZAR

DECORATIONS FOR BRING ‘N BUY

DONAL O’LEARY TALKING ABOUT COMPOSTING

WEEDING OUR GARDEN