Pitlochry’s Eco Schools mission is to save our environment ... · 2/1/2019 · Pitlochry’s Eco...
Transcript of Pitlochry’s Eco Schools mission is to save our environment ... · 2/1/2019 · Pitlochry’s Eco...
Pitlochry’s Eco Schools mission is to save our environment and build a better
future.
We are affiliated with the WESSA Eco School programme. “This programme is
an international programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education
(FEE) that was developed to support environmental learning in the classroom.
The programme is active in 67 countries around the world and has been
implemented in South Africa since 2003 by WESSA.
The programme is aimed at creating awareness and action around
environmental sustainability in schools and their surrounding communities as
well as supporting Education for Sustainable Development in the national
curriculum. With over 50% of the content in some CAPS subjects being
environmental in nature, Eco Schools makes a positive contribution towards
improving education in South Africa (WESSA: accessed 31/01/19)”.
We are in our 13th year of the programme and have achieved our Decade
Green Flag Award. Our goal is to inculcate good environmental values
amongst our learners and offer diverse education using our school grounds
during our lessons. Our gardens outside our classes are filled with indigenous
plants and we have a variety of eco-systems for learners to engage in learning.
Our vegetable garden is used to develop gardening skills amongst keen
learners and to teach them about sustainable living. The garden is also used
during our Geography lessons when we teach the section farming. The fruit
and vegetables we collect are distributed amongst our cleaners.
We have started a compost heap where all our dried leaves and grass cutting
are kept making compost. This compost is to be used around the school
gardens.
Our learners engage in problem solving and act to improve the environment.
As a result, learners develop a deeper understanding of environmental issues
and have the skills to make informed and responsible decisions.
We have an intense recycling program where learners collect the following
items and bring them to school.
• Rinsed plastic bottles
• Any clean plastic items that was to be disposed
• Bread tags
• Bottle caps - plastic only
• Grey water
• Newspaper
• Ink cartridges
The lessons we plan are in-line with the CAPS curriculum and linked to WESSA’s
recommendations when incorporating environmental education into the
syllabus.
We run several different projects con-currently during the year to promote a
holistic view of environmental learning for our learners.
Eco-club activities for January 2019
Week 1
We conducted an Eco School audit where learners walked around the school
to identify areas that need improvement. Here they learnt how to assess the
environment and will plan a strategy to rectify problem areas.
Week 2
The management identified a large tyre that needed revamping to make it
aesthetically appealing. The Eco club members enjoyed an afternoon filling
the tyre with sand and planting seedlings in it.
Large tyre identified – Before
Filling in sand
After – the tyre was painted and learners in grade R water and nurture the
plants daily.
Our vegetable garden
Learners planted new seedlings and harvested sweet potatoes
Recycling bottles and caps
Last year we collected bread tags – the funds collected will be used to donate
a wheelchair to the less fortunate
Our Eco School Award Winner – 2018. This learner was most dedicated towards
helping save the environment.