ECO-CLUB STARTS ON FRIDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER, 4 - 5:30 PM. NEW MEMBERS WELCOME! MEET IN THE SIXTH-FORM GARDEN. Environmental Youth Award (Bristol Winner) The Green Team recently attended the Bath and West Show to collect an award for their efforts over the past few years. The Countess of Wessex presented the cheque for £250 along with a trophy and framed certificate. We narrowly missed out on winning the overall prize but were told it was very close and any other year we would have won! The team has yet to decide how to spend their winnings but it may go towards a greenhouse. Inkjet Cartridge Recycling I am collecting used inkjet cartridges for the British Horse Society. They will use donations raised through recycling cartridges to carry out their tireless and vital work including improving equine welfare, horse and rider safety and access. Cartridges can be given directly to Miss Douglas or left in Room 4 but please note that the BHS cannot recycle Epson or Canon BC1 laser or toner cartridges. Old mobile phones can also be left but please remove the Sim Card first. Thanks for your help. Eco-Club Diary 30 April - Another successful Eco-Club with a few new faces! The team saved further plants from the old garden and re-planted them in the Sixth Form Garden. As well as rescued plants we also planted tomato plants and a sunflower, all thanks to Miss Evans. We have now filled the largest bed and it looks great! PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO ECO-CLUB THIS FRIDAY 7 MAY. 23 April - Just two members of the Green Team attended the first Eco Club of the year. But, with the help of Paul, the new caretaker, and Miss Douglas, they accomplished a lot.
It was a lovely sunny evening and we started by salvaging some plants and bulbs from the old garden which we will lose very shortly due to forthcoming building work. We rescued some of the daffodil bulbs which we received from the Myasthenia Gravis Association some time ago (see original story below). We also saved some of the wildflower plants, including bluebells and wild strawberries, that were planted on the day of the Big Dig in 2008. We then cleared the weeds and moss from the Sixth Form Garden and replanted our plants there - we shall have to wait and see if they grow! Miss Douglas ECO-CLUB IS HELD ON FRIDAYS FROM 4PM UNTIL 5.30PM. SEE MISS DOUGLAS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN. Environmental Youth Award The School has won £250 as Bristol winner of the Environmental Youth Award. The Green Team has been invited to the Bath and West Show to collect the award and also to compete against three other regional winners for a further £250. Please do come and support us and see what we have been up to at the Show (day yet to be confirmed). The £250 we have already won will be spent on green projects in school. The Green Team will decide on these projects! If you would like to be involved why not come to our team meeting on Tuesday break time in room 4. Hearing Dogs Stamp Appeal
We are now collecting used postage stamps for the Hearing Dogs for the Deaf Association. This fabulous charity trains dogs to alert deaf people to specific sounds, whether in the home, workplace or public buildings. Any postage stamps can be donated, but please leave a 1cm border around the stamp and sort into British or Foreign in order to maximise funds raised. Do visit their website for more information: http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk. Please give your stamps to Maisie Swift in 7D, Miss Douglas or leave them in the envelope outside Room 4. Big thanks!
Eco-Weekend 2009
 
 
At the beginning of October, some dedicated members of the Green Team went to Exmoor for the weekend to stay at Blackford Cottage, where they lived in a totally eco-friendly and sustainable way, without phones or ipods. It was a fantastic weekend and really made us think about just how much we take for granted modern amenities.
To see more, please see the photo gallery on the School's Intranet. Also, look out for an article/ photos in the next 'Chronicle'. ECO-CLUB HAS FINISHED FOR THE YEAR. IT WILL START UP AGAIN IN THE SPRING! Green Team Meetings
Due to Miss Douglas' timetable, and Year 8 Games, Team meetings will no longer be held on Fridays. Instead, we will meet at break time on Tuesdays. Hopefully, the majority of you will be able to attend these meetings, which start on Tuesday 8th September. Meetings are open to anyone with an interest in green issues. Plea from a Green Team Member!
At my school - Colston's Girls' School - we have an Eco club where we concentrate on improving global warming awareness around our school and we also have a small garden which we look after. We recently entered the Bristol in Bloom competition and received the bronze award. We are looking for ways to improve our garden. There are many things that we need, for instance - gardening gloves - as we don't have many and Eco club is growing. We think that if we improve our garden it will encourage more people around school to be aware of Global Warming and help our school to improve the environment. We are looking for donations of gardening equipment and plants and would be very grateful if you would consider helping us with our aspirations.
Rose Reade (aged 14)
Bristol in Bloom Bronze Medal!
I am pleased to announce that we have won a bronze award for the Bristol in Bloom competition we entered in June. Along with a certificate (please see the green notice board), we have received £20.00 National Garden gift vouchers! I knew we had impressed the judges, but I also knew there was a huge amount of competition particularly from primary schools, which generally have more time (and often more land) to dedicate to such projects. This makes our success even more special. You have been an amazing team to work with over the past year (and brilliant fun), and I know we will continue to grow (pardon the pun!) and be successful. Below is a list of what we have achieved over the course of the last academic year: Expanded the wildflower garden to include herbs and vegetables;
Added a bird feeder to the garden;
Got the worm farm up and running once more;
Bought Eco-Club T-shirts for all members of Green Team;
Gained more members of Green Team, particularly years 7 and 12;
Offered input into the year 7 programme of study for their green studies lessons;
Supported the Myasthenia Gravis Association;
Held weekly green meetings throughout the year;
Run Eco-Club during the lighter, warmer months of the year;
Recycled Christmas cards into gift tags;
Given two assemblies;
Visited Blaise Biomass Boiler;
Run the Travel Rewards Scheme for the second year running;
Gathered evidence for our Green Flag application;
Impressed the Ofsted inspector during our mini-inspection in May;
Helped room four to become known as 'The Green Room' by everyone in School!
Started to think about a possible 'green weekend' to Exmoor and also making the garden more creative using recycled tyres and boots. Well done everyone! Eco-Club will start up again on Friday 11th September. Until then, enjoy your holidays! Miss Douglas (24/07/09). New T-shirts! The photos below show the team in their Eco-Club t-shirts which are, of course, environmentally friendly and ethically produced!  
How does your Garden Grow? (12/06/09) Members of Eco-Club have been working hard on their garden. The first two evenings were mainly spent pulling up some of the more exuberant wildflowers, which were choking some of the smaller plants. Tamieka, Isobel and Flora found some wild garlic, and replanted it in the trough along with some wild strawberries. Meanwhile, Rose, Isobel and some of the others created a vegetable patch; the lettuces are growing nicely, whilst the later planted carrots, beetroot and pumpkins have yet to show their faces. If we are successful, we might expand the patch and grow veggies on a grander scale, perhaps for use by the Food Tech Department. Thanks to Ellie and Amy, who have been keeping the garden well watered during the week. Finally, we hope to attract some birds and have provided a feeder. Something is emptying this feeder and we can only hope that it's birds and not the dreaded squirrels! Green Travel Scheme (15/04/09) If you travel to school in an environmentally-friendly way, i.e. you walk, cycle, car-share or use public transport, you can be rewarded for your efforts by filling in a green travel passport available from Miss Douglas. Keep track of the journeys you make during the summer term, both to and from school, and when you have made ten, you get a sticker. When you have five stickers (50 journeys), you get a prize! Prizes include pencil cases made from recycled car-tyres, sets of colouring pencils made from sustainable woodland, and beautiful pencil tops, which are also eco-friendly. So what are you waiting for? Blaise Biomass Boiler Visit
On a cold, but sunny, Friday afternoon, seven members of the Green Team (along with pupils and staff from St. Mary Redcliffe and Temple School), visited the nursery at Blaise, where thousands of plants are produced each year. The majority of the plants are bought by local authorities for decorating towns and cities; the arrangements found on many Bristol roundabouts originate from Blaise. We were shown exactly how the biomass boiler works and learned why it is a green method of heating. More information can be found by following the link: http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Environment-Planning/sustainability/energy-renewable.en?page=4. Thank you to St. Mary Redcliffe School for organising this trip. Year Sevens prove they are both green and artistic!
Please see article on Myasthenia Gravis (below) for information.
 The Green Team Green Reps have been replaced by a strong 'green team', which is rapidly growing in number and status. This term, we have seen a number of sixth formers join the team, which has previously consisted of mostly lower school pupils. This is obviously encouraging and will hopefully continue, especially as we expand our green activities during the summer term. Last week, the team gave an excellent (whole school) assembly. We had originally planned for the assembly to be held in the first week of the spring term, but GCSE mock exams meant that the Hall was out of use and assemblies stopped. As a result the 'Christmas lights' theme might have seemed a little out of context in late February! However, the team broadened the focus of the assembly to include the unnecessary lighting up of businesses and city centres, which means huge amounts of energy are wasted throughout the year. So, well done everybody involved. Finally, don't forget green meetings are held in room 4 every Friday break time. Oh, and Eco-Club will be starting up very soon. Watch this space! Miss Douglas (7/3/09). Year 7 raises funds! Year Seven adopted the Myasthenia Gravis Association as one of their charities during the autumn term. They raised over £107 for the charity, which provides care for those with the illness. In their green lessons, girls have been painting beautiful designs on terracotta pots, and in them planting spring bulbs provided by the MGA. Information about Myasthenia Gravis and the MGA can be found by following the link http://www.mgauk.org/ (7/3/09) Wanted! Old Christmas cards! Thanks to all those who have brought in their Christmas cards for recycling. Rather than just sending them to one of the big supermarket chains, the girls in the Green Team have been making gift tags out of the cards ready for next Christmas! Towards the end of the year, small packs of these gift tags will be available to buy, all money raised going to charity. It's not too late to bring in your old cards, or to take part in the lunch-time sessions in Room 4 from 1:30pm. Miss Douglas 17/01/09 Eco Club Eco-Club has now finished for the winter and will start up again in the spring. Thanks to my dedicated 'green team' for all their hard work after school on Fridays; the wildflower garden is a credit to you and will look fabulous come spring time. We will continue to meet every Friday at breaktime in room 4. Miss Douglas (30/10/08) The Green Room! Miss Douglas' teaching room (Room 4) is now also the Green Room, a place where the Green Team can meet both socially and formally to discuss green business. Over the summer holidays, the former Year 6 classroom received something of a makeover, thanks to Mr Noble. Its tired red shelves, skirtings and radiators were painted green and new blinds installed. There are new displays of pupils' work and some pot plants on the window sills. Next time you're passing, do go in and take a look! The green noticeboard has been relocated from the main foyer to the corridor by Room 4. Green Team meetings are held in room 4 at breaktime on Fridays. If you are a green rep, a member of Eco Club or just simply interested in green issues, please come along. Refreshments will be provided! Myasthenia Gravis In exchange for 112 spring bulbs (one for each of the year sevens), Colston's Girls' School has agreed to support the Myasthenia Gravis Association, which provides care, education and research into what is commonly referred to as the 'Ragdoll Illness'. This term, year 7 will raise funds for the charity through events such as cake sales (7D is holding a cake sale on Thursday 2nd October, in the ODR at breaktime). We are hoping that other year groups will consider adopting the charity this term. Green Assembly Thanks to Rose, Laura and Natasha for delivering an inspiring 'green assembly' to the Upper School at the beginning of term. It has sparked some renewed interest in the school's green agenda. Eco Club By popular demand, Eco Club was launched in the summer term as part of our Green Initiative. We meet on Friday evenings between 4:15 and 5:45, and will continue to do so throughout the autumn term (until the clocks go back). If any pupils or parents would like to get involved please contact Miss A Douglas. Information letters can be collected from Room 4. We would also be grateful for donations of gardening equipment and suitable outdoor plants, particularly wildflowers. Last term, activities included weeding and planting the wildflower garden, general maintenance of the Pleasaunce, salvaging some beautiful Victorian edging and incorporating it into the garden, and setting up a worm farm. The Big Dig!    
On Saturday 26th April an enthusiastic team of green monitors from across the school gathered to plant our new Wildflower Garden by the steps leading to the Pleasaunce. Under Miss Douglas' and Mr Jeffries' direction they planted native wildflowers including red campion, snowdrops, primroses, bluebells, wild strawberries and Welsh poppies. We hope this is just a beginning and plan to start an after-school Eco Club to maintain this and to expand with a herb garden and maybe even a vegetable plot, as well as keeping the Pleasaunce tidy. All pupils are very welcome to join in, Miss Douglas will tell all classes about future plans so that everyone has a chance to participate.  
Solar Energy Powers Colston's Girls' Future! We are powering into the future with the help of new solar panels partly funded by the ScottishPower Green Energy Trust; the panels will conserve energy and reduce our carbon footprint. This week Dr Nick Banks from Sustain joined Head Mistress Lesley Ann Jones to cut the ribbon and launch the £30,000 panels which were also funded by the Carbon Trust. 
Alison McKean, Head of Environment, at ScottishPower said “The Green Energy Trust is delighted to contribute towards the school’s solar panels. It is really important that children of a young age learn as much as they can about renewable energy…It's fantastic that Colston’s Girls’ School is committed to becoming energy efficient and has proved this by installing the solar energy panels.” Our Buildings Manager, John Manley, explained that the panels would have educational as well as practical uses “The control panel gives a good deal of information including how much power the panels have generated and how much carbon dioxide has been saved. The students can use these statistics to calculate how much energy the school is using and where savings can be made.” During the school holidays, the panels will continue to convert the sun’s energy into power, but this will be sold back into the National Grid, generating funds for the school and helping to make the UK energy supply greener. Head Mistress Mrs Jones said “This is a very exciting time for the school, but as we move forward we are 100 per cent committed to being as environmentally-friendly as possible.” Green issues will be taken into consideration when considering proposals for any new building projects. The solar panels are the latest addition to our growing range of sustainability initiatives including a comprehensive recycling policy and a commitment to using locally-produced, organic ingredients in its kitchens wherever feasible. Every class has its own ‘Green’ representative and the girls are encouraged to put forward their own ideas for saving carbon. History and RE teacher Angela Douglas has been appointed Green Co-ordinator to oversee the various projects as the school works towards Green Flag status. ScottishPower’s Green Energy Trust which contributed over £13,000 to the solar panels will be celebrating its 10th Birthday this year. Since the trust began it has given £936,940 to 91 projects. The trust is an independently registered charity helping to fund community based renewable energy projects all over the UK. Eco-School Silver Award As part of our green drive we have joined an international group of schools working towards education for sustainable development. See www.eco-schools.org.uk We have now progressed to their Silver Award by meeting the following criteria: The school has identified an Action Team, and the team has met on at least FOUR occasions. The team has the support of a parent and/or governor. The Action Team has completed a formal Environmental Review (which must at least cover the issues of waste, energy and water) and recorded the results. The Action Team has produced a detailed ‘Action Plan’, including timescales and targets, and shared the plan with the school community. The Action Team can identify progress towards achieving elements of the Action Plan. The school has a dedicated notice-board detailing the activities being undertaken. The school has informed parents and the wider community about the good work being undertaken in the school towards Eco-School status. The school can indicate that some environmental issues have been covered within curriculum work in most year groups. The school has agreed, adopted and displayed an Eco–Code.
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