Green Schools Committee
The Firhouse Community College Green schools committee, is the representative body for students increasing sustainability and environmental conservation in Firhouse Community College and the community. It is the main hub for discussing sustainability issues between students and the council’s respected liaison teachers.
Students belonging to the student council are distinguishable by their badges (Green and White Badges with the ‘Green School Logo’). This is done so that students who have a suggestion or have an issue with something in the school, can easily approach a council member and speak to them about it so that the member can bring it up in the council’s next meeting. While students may also bring up suggestions and/or issues to teachers, we recognise that there are students who are a bit more shy and would prefer to talk to their fellow peers with confidentiality. The badges are also used to give a sense of school pride to our members.
Head of Green Schools - Muireann Coyle. Deputy Head of Green Schools - Jessica Lundberg. Head of GAISCE Sustainability- Adam Noone. Notice Board & Communications Officer – Kayleigh Reilly. Digital and communications officer - Sanya Singh, Recycling Officer- Christopher Collins. Energy Officer- Ava Cathcart. Water Officer- Sarah Meehan. Assistant members- Jonathan Fetsum Berihe, Kate Heavey. Tommy, Barry. Parent Representative – Natalie Ward.
Aims: The Green-Schools programme gives pupils an opportunity to take ownership of an environmental issue and create a positive change in their local community. Taking an active role in achieving an international environmental award is a prestigious achievement and will be a notable addition to a pupil’s curriculum vitae. Being part of a Green-Schools Committee builds student confidence, ability to solve problems, communication and organisation skills. Many pupils have used this experience to win membership of Student Councils and Green-Schools Committees at university level.
Objectives: Action plans both past and present are posted on our Green Schools Noticeboard
Green-Schools Committee Pupil Roles Job description
Head of Green-Schools Skills: Leadership, organisation and people management. - Oversee Committee actions and coordinate activities. - Liaise with the Principal and Green-Schools Coordinator to keep her/him updated. - Run Green-Schools meetings with the Coordinator
Deputy Head of Green Schools Skills: Organisation, administration and people management. - Work closely with the Head of Green-Schools Travel. - Create an agenda for meetings. - Record and circulate minutes of the Committee meetings.
Travel Officer: All of our committee members are Travel Officers with this being the main focus for 2023-2025. Activities include - travel audit, application for new Cycle shed, create sustainable travel awareness and walkability audit.
Notice Board Communication Officer Skills: Art, creative skills, advertising, design and marketing. - Design a creative theme for the notice board. - Display Committee names and photos. - Update the notice board regularly to display survey results, recent events and news. - Use a ‘fact or image of the week’ system to get other pupils thinking about the environment. Digital and Social Media
Communication Officer Skills: Computer skills, digital marketing, journalism and blogging. - Does your school have a Green-Schools social media account or school website? - Add links to short videos about the environment, travel and greenhouse gases e.g. ‘Dear Future Generations: Sorry’. - Add tweets and posts about the Committee’s progress. - Follow and share with Green-Schools.
Green Code Officer Skills: Creative skills, music, video direction and production, language skills and event organisation. - Create a song, rap, poem or slogan for the Travel theme. A competition could be held within the school. - Create a video / digital poster / poster of the Green-School Code. - Display this code on the notice board or elsewhere. - Ask the principal to include the new code in school journals.
Recycling Officer Skills: Leadership, organisation, research and independent initiative. - Evaluate the recycling system. - Ask the caretaker to monitor the amount of waste produced. Record this data and give it to the Green-Schools Coordinator. - Create a small action to promote recycling and reduce waste e.g. clothes recycling bin / junk-kouture fashion show. Facilitate and organise our Re-turn scheme to raise money for Ballycullen Food Bank with our GAISCE Sustainability Group.
Energy Officer Skills: Leadership, organisation, research and independent initiative - Ask the caretaker to monitor the electricity bills and meter readings. Record this data and give it to the Green-Schools Coordinator. - Create signs for classrooms about switching off monitors, projectors and lights. - Encourage a small action e.g. observe Earth Hour. Water Officer Skills: Leadership, organisation, research and independent initiative - Ask the caretaker to monitor the water usage. Record this data and give it to the Green-Schools Coordinator. - Create signage about water wastage and dripping taps. - Encourage an action e.g. re-useable water bottles instead of plastic.
Assistants' Skills: varies by role - Each of the roles above may have an assistant role. - Ask the Coordinator for further details. Green-Schools Committee members Skills: Environmental activism, communication and creativity.
Members: These are all the participants of the Firhouse Community College Student Council with or without a specific executive role. They help the council with identifying key issues within the school and discuss these topics during council meetings. They also participate in council events and help out in the organisation and running of events. The majority of the council is comprised of members without an executive role and they are of great asset to the council thanks in no small part to their input during meetings.
Liaison Teachers: There are two teacher members and two caretaker members on the committee also of which at least one staff member attends the monthly meetings. The teacher(s) assist the council with the organisation of meetings, events, and the general running of the council.
The Firhouse Community College Student Council always encourages students in any and all year groups, of all backgrounds to join and take part. We take everyone’s input very seriously and without this vital contribution, the student council would lose its purpose of helping to address the needs of students in Firhouse Community College, because as the name would imply, the student council is run by students. By joining, students also get the amazing opportunity to take part in various events both inside and outside of school, potentially with the aforementioned organisations. We envision our members growing not only as students, but also as individuals, being able to partake in amazing experiences they couldn’t find anywhere else.
If you would like to join the Firhouse Community College Student Council, just come along to one of our meetings. Meeting times are always announced on the intercom one day in advance, just stop by BS3, we’re happy to have you join.
Achievements to date: Three Green school Flags for Litter and Waste, Water and Energy. We are currently working on our fourth for Travel. We also have one Environmental Protection Award and One Neat Streets Award. Sustainability wise we are engaged in many programmes and projects to increase our awareness of and conservation of biodiversity on our school grounds and beyond.
More information about Green Schools in Firhouse CC
National walk to school/park and stride day 2024
Previous Committees