Bunscoil McAuley Rice

Bunscoil McAuley Rice waves Green Flag of success
11th June 2008


A Report taken from 'The Kilkenny People' - 11/06/2008

The first week of June was a big week for Bunscoil McAuley Rice in Callan.
The primary school, which last year formed a single school out of two existing schools, celebrated the first anniversary of its amalgamation and its achievement in receiving a Green Flag from An Taisce for its recycling program.
Operating out of two sites in the town, the school held a joint day of celebration on Friday where the children enjoyed bouncy castles, an ice-cream van and a half-day of school.
Dignitaries, including the school's patron and former student Bishop Seamus Freeman, Callan curate Fr Willie Purcell, parish priest Fr Willie Dalton and Trade and Enterprise Minister John McGuinness, joined in the celebrations and were on hand for the official raising of the Green Flag at the front of the school.
In raising the flag, Mininster McGuinness said the new school's success in the programme said good things about the school's committment and attitude.
"It's a sign of excellence in every single thing that you do," he said.
"And that's a great way to start out your life."
The school's Green School's co-ordinator, Damien Aylward, said receiving the Green Flag was a huge coup for the school and great recognition for the hard work all the students, particularly the small organising committee.
The project began about eight months when the school applied to be part of the program and undertook an environmental review of its recycling needs.
Then the whole school community, including all the studetns and parents, followed this up with a whole-school action plan.
Mr Aylward said the schoolhad previously recycled a small amount of waste, but there was no official programme in place.
He said the children had all been very enthusiastic about the project but trying to run it over two sites made it difficult.
Each classroom was given two bins for recycling and composting and was responsible for its own rubbish and waste.
The school also held a day of action during the year to raise awareness of recycling in the local Callan community.
Throughout the year, the school recycled everything from glass, plastic and compost, to old batteries and mobile phones.
The school choir entertained the small, but proud, crowd of staff, past and present students, parents and visitors on the day, before two fifth-class boys, Matthew Lowth and Lewis Murray, presented a self-penned rap about the Green Flag.
There are currently about 270 students at Bunscoil McAuley Rice, including 90 boys at one site with 180 girls and co-ed junior infants and first class students at the other.
A new school building is in the planning and as of September, the school will re-arrange itself once again, with all the senior school students combined on one site with the junior schoolers on the other.