Schools Green team raise fourth flag

PUPILS at Oatlands Primary School, Stillorgan, have been celebrating the school’s fourth Green Flag that was raised by Cllr Deirdre Donnelly (Ind) recently.

The occasion coincided with the opening of a new scooter park, an initiative that was sponsored by An Taisce.

The entire school of over 400 pupils attended the ceremony.

They took their place alongside staff, the Parents’ Council, school board members and representatives from An Taisce, the Road Safety Authority and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Green-Schools, known internationally as Eco-Schools, is an international environmental education programme and award scheme that promotes and acknowledges long term action for the environment.

Schools that have successfully completed all elements of the programme are awarded the coveted Green Flag.

Cllr Donnelly said it was a great honour to be asked to raise the Green Flag at the school and she paid tribute in particular to the principal, Ber O’ Sullivan, and teacher Liam Benson for their hard work and dedication over the past number of years that had led to the raising of the school’s fourth flag.

She also praised the class representatives who make up the Green Committee as well as all the pupils.

“You are all truly one great Green Team,” she said.

The school’s new scooter park encourages pupils to use more environmentally friendly ways of getting to school.