Eco Schools, Sustrans - Active Travel and Fair trade
Big Pedal 2024
Log onto the Fairtrade website and take part in the daily fairtrade advent. They are giving away a number of advent gifts including a sustainable fairtrade phone.
https://www.fairtrade-advent.org/uk/https://www.fairtrade-advent.org/uk/
COP 26 Climate Savers Competition Moneysense
ECO School Code
Size of Wales Workshops
Big Pedal 2021 - Scooter training Dosbarth 1!
Dosbarth 1 have been enjoying the outdoors.
Dosbarth 1 made a bird house out of a recycled box.
Fairtrade Baking!
Dosbarth 1 have been taking part in the LitterLessTogether campaign.
Mindfulness Active Travel Walk, Big School Bird Watch, and Pond Dipping
Sustrans Big Pedal 2021
We are delighted to announce that Sustrans Big Pedal is back for another exciting schools challenge.
It will run for 10 days between 19 and 30 April 2021 and is open to all primary and secondary schools in the UK, including SEN schools.
Children will be able to take part whether they are travelling to school or learning remotely.
As well as active journeys to school, 30 minutes of physical activity and exercise taken from home will count as one journey in the challenge this year.
Sustrans Outside In
Get weekly inspiration and resources for kids' activities, games and challenges.
Sustrans Outside In activities include videos, games, weekly challenges, themed activities and more.
Designed by our knowledgeable, experienced and fun-loving Schools Officers. The four-week activity pack is full of cycling, walking and scooting themed fun.
Outside In weekly updates are packed with creative, active and interesting indoor and outdoor activities for all the family.
If you'd like to receive these activities and challenges, sign up here.
Eco Update 2021
I am taking this opportunity to inform both parents and community of the school’s continuing work to support the health and wellbeing of our pupils through Active travel and ECO and environmental issues. It is great to report on some positive news and that we will continue to promote such activities whilst children are working from home.
Update
We are pleased to announce that we have once again received the Eco Platinum renewal from Eco Schools Wales. I would like to thank the Sea Grass Project for their support throughout the last year academic year. Matthew Bunt the Co-Ordinator for ECO schools Wales stated ‘ I loved reading your case study, what a brilliant whole school, in depth project. I really enjoyed watching Rohan’s video and it was amazing to see it carrying on even in lockdown’.
This year the school is focusing on Climate Change. Our message and hard work has already started, If you haven’t seen our Christmas Climate change song ( see video below)
The video created quite a stir, and has been posted on various other environmental websites, social media and and newsletters such as 'The Size of Wales' and ' National Resources Wales Education ' and the World Wildlife Fund who are sharing our video on the Love Nature Teacher face book group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/learntolovenature) and they are aiming to get it in out their January newsletter. Keep Wales Tidy- Eco Schools has posted this to their international partners the FEE (Foundation of Environmental Education) sending the message around the world.
I liked the tweet by Outdoor Learning Wales stating that ' Children remind us of the little things we can do to stop climate change, Well done, Class 2. A representative from public health Wales stated ' I was impressed by the excellent messages they included in a meaningful way.'
We believe that pupils have a voice and this has been shared far and wide - even sharing our message with the United Nations office of the Secretary General's envoy on Youth.
I would like to thank all of the children and staff, including Mrs McCall and Mrs Powell who made all this possible.
Please take on board some of the messages from the video, small changes at home and within the local community will make a difference.
Ongoing Projects - Spring and Summer Term
Bird Watching
We are continuing with the Big School’s Bird Watch during 5th January – 22nd February. Mrs Treadwell even bought her husband two bird picture books ( with attached songbird recordings ) from the St Fagin’s shop this Christmas. I wonder if they will come in useful for or class resources!
You can get involved from home and with the Big Garden Bird Watch which takes place over a different time scale between 29th to 31st January https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/everything-you-need-to-know-about-big-garden-birdwatch/
There are lots of printable resources on the RSPB website to help you identify and record the birds. There are simple ideas for bird feeders that you can make at home with your children. Please send in any pictures of your bird watching and recording so that we can include them on the ECO section of the website.
Fairtrade Fortnight
The Fairtrade Schools loved our Fairtrade roll play shop that we had set up in class 2 and they are going to promote our good practice later in the year.
We will be supporting Fairtrade Fortnight 2021 ( 22nd Feb – 7th March) with the focus -Fairtrade, Climate and You. The Fairtrade Foundation are hosting an online festival that will highlight the growing challenges that climate change brings to farmers and workers in the communities Fairtrade works with. Click on the links for further information.
https://schools.fairtrade.org.uk/take-action/fairtrade-fortnight-2021/
Grow Your Own Potatoes
The school will once again be taking part in the Grow Your Own Potatoes primary school project. Some classes will take part in learning where potatoes come from, how they grow and the health benefits. We already have some winter veg in our school garden and are looking forward to planting in the Spring Term and subsequently eating a delicious soup with successful crop.
I will be great to hear about any ECO activities or any changes that you have made to support climate change at home. Send them to the school admin email or contact me at treadwellm@hwbcymru.net
Mrs Treadwell
Eco
Just thought that I would share this brilliant ECO homework about Switch Off Fortnight and saving energy.
Information from Natural Resources Wales Newsletter
Why do we ‘deck the halls with boughs of holly’ at Christmas time?
|
Get your learners researching and learning about how and why certain trees and plants have become a symbol of Christmas. It’s tradition every year to incorporate certain plant species into our Christmas celebrations. Have you ever stopped to wonder why? Staying green, strong and with bright red berries standing out against the starkness of winter, Pagan druids considered the holly a sacred tree. As the Christian population increased, holly lost its pagan association and became a symbol of Christmas. Christians believe the red berries represent the blood that Jesus shed on the cross, whilst a holly's pointed leaves symbolize the crown of thorns placed on Jesus' head before he died. Superstitious beliefs were responsible for holly branches being brought into some homes and farm buildings during winter months, to protect inhabitants and livestock from witches. Once the holly had done its job it would be removed, not burnt, as superstition held that this could release the bad spirits back into the house. The tradition of decking the halls with boughs of holly at Christmas continues today, being used to create wreaths to decorate doors, bannisters and mantlepieces. What other references to trees and plants are there in traditional Christmas carols? Sharing a cheeky kiss under the mistletoe is a Christmas given, but how did that tradition begin? Why does the robin of all bird species feature on Christmas cards? How did the tradition of lugging a fir tree into our homes and decorating it each Christmas begin? |
Forest schools, den making and bush craft activities. Well done! It looks like you all had lots of fun teambuilding. It is great that you are learning in the great outdoors. Mrs Treadwell
Pizza for a Robin
Two of our pupils, Eva (year 5) and Pippa (nursery) created a 'Pizza for a Robin' kit to help feed hungry robins this winter. They designed the kit themselves and made 50 of them to sell. Some of the money they make will be donated to the schools PTA. Mrs Treadwell gave the girls an eco-award for their enterprising spirit!
Road Safety Week
Thank you Coychurch Gardening Club
ECO Art made from recycled materials - A great Autumn photo and pictures of a unicorn and and rain cloud for a child in class 2.
Sustrans Newsletter
Coychurch Primary School are featured in this month's Sustrans Newsletter for our amazing effort during Bike To School week. Well done everyone!
Here is an extract from the newletter - to read the whole article and see some of our pupils featured click here.
Positive news in a pandemic
Lockdown has been a challenging period for many children and families.
Coychurch Primary have prioritised the health and wellbeing of its pupils returning to school.
This term, the whole school topic focus is ‘Mind, Body and Soul.’
Sustrans ‘Bike to School Week’ and promoting regular active travel to Coychurch plays an important part in promoting a healthy lifestyle for the whole school community.
Rags to Riches - Thank you at all parents who have recycled their clothes and raised funds for the school
Carve out time for Fairtrade this Halloween and take part in our Fairtrade Halloween Challenge!
Show your support for Fairtrade sugar and cocoa farmers this October by trying these spooktacular Halloween activities. This is a brilliant way to bring global learning into your classroom whilst enjoying some frightfully tasty treats...
1. Carve the FAIRTRADE Mark into your pumpkin using our Pumpkin Stencil
2. Create some frightfully Fairtrade bakes - use the leftover pumpkin if you can! We've included four fang-tastic recipes at the bottom of this email.
3. Learn about the farmers who produced the Fairtrade ingredients in your bakes
We're looking for unBOOlievable examples of Fairtrade Halloween activities to share on our newspage, so take pictures of your creations and let us know how you got on!
#ChooseTheWorldYouWant this Halloween
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Harvesting Vegetables from our school garden
Active Travel - Walk To School Month
It is great that parents and children are sustaining active travel to school since Sustrans Bike to School Week. This month is walk to school month.
16th October World Food Day - http://www.fao.org/world-food-day/contest/en/
World Food Day Poster contest (Age 5-19) Fairtrade Schools News
Calling out to all children and teens around the world! If you’re between ages 5 to 19, we want you to use your imagination and create a poster of your favourite food hero at work. The world is full of food heroes – from farmers to drivers, shop assistants, food bank or government representatives etc., who despite various challenges, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, work hard to make sure that food makes its way from farms to our table. Let’s celebrate their great efforts this World Food Day. Young minds can be inspired by our World Food Day Activity Book that talks about the important role food heroes play in the food system and how everyone can come together and take action to support our food heroes so they can provide the healthy diets we need, while protecting the planet.
Take a photo or scan your poster and submit your entry by filling out the form on our website. The deadline is 6 November 2020.
Three winners in each age category will be selected by our jury and announced here in December. Winners will be promoted by FAO offices around the world and receive a surprise gift bag and Certificate of Recognition.
To participate, you must be age 5 - 19. The deadline for entries is 6 November 2020.
Extract from Food Heroes Activity Book ( see attachment)
Did you know that the majority of the world’s food is produced by small-scale farmers? Most of the food you eat comes from a farm, whether it’s a crop, animal, dairy, fish or other type of farm. But farmers aren’t the only food heroes out there. From the cultivation of food to its arrival at your table, different food heroes are involved every step of the way.
Discover the important role these heroes play and the digital innovations that are helping them and our food systems to perform better. Find out what each of us – governments, farmers, businesses and the general public – can do to improve how our food is produced and learn how you can make a difference!
Food Heroes Activity Book
Eco - school grounds / healthy living
Sustrans - Bike To School Week
Sustrans - Bike to School Week
28th September - 4th October 2020
Children are encouraged to walk, scoot and cycle to school. Children will have the opportunity to ride their bikes and scooters during break times. Children will be completing activities relating to Bike to School Week in school. Please forward or tweet any photos of your journeys or activities that you have completed at home.
Healthy Eating Week
28th - September - 4th October 2020
Maybe now that we have started back to school this September children and parents can think about Healthy Eating. I would suggest that you consider the type of foods that you put in packed lunch boxes. Substituting an unhealthy snack for a healthy option.
At Coychurch Primary we also try to keep plastic use to a minimum. Consider the type of packed lunch bag and water bottle your child is using.
Face Masks and Plastic Gloves - Battle Against Litter
Please can you consider the environmental impact of the use of single use disposable gloves and face masks. Try to use reusable masks whenever possible and dispose of single use masks appropriately to minimise litter. Every time you throw one away you're generating more rubbish for landfill. If masks are not disposed of correctly many will find their way to our rivers and oceans.
ECO school Home Activity (See link below) https://www.keepwalestidy.cymru/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=722983e4-10e5-4a7c-988f-c7257a0b1931
Masks and gloves - Create a catchy slogan and image to encourage people to dispose of their gloves and masks sensibly. If you are feeling creative, it could even be a poem or rap! It should be possible to protect ourselves without littering our beautiful country. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-52188627
Don’t forget to Tweet us at @EcoSchoolsWales or tag us on Insta @ecoschoolswales with your ideas!
Coychurch Primary School are supporting the - Keep Wales Tidy - Autumn Clean Cymru
Be part of the pick. 11-27 September (see link)
https://www.keepwalestidy.cymru/Pages/Category/autumn-clean-cymru
After taking the difficult decision to postpone Spring Clean Cymru in March, we’re excited to announce Autumn Clean Cymru will be taking place from 11-27 September!
To make sure everyone stays safe and well, we’re encouraging individuals and households to clean-up the streets, parks or beaches on their doorstep.
It’s part of the Great British September Clean which will be happening across the UK at the same time.
We’ve been overwhelmed by the support for our work over the past few months. It seems that, more than ever, people are recognising just how important a clean and safe environment is to their health and well-being. There’s also been a real sense of frustration at the increase in litter since restrictions have eased.
Autumn Clean Cymru is a chance for us all to take a stand and declare that litter is not acceptable.
How to get involved
1. Organise a private clean-up for your household in your local area
2. Pledge to do your own individual clean-up.
Whether you do five minutes while walking the dog or five hours – every individual action can make a difference.
ECO Schools
Eco-Schools at Home - https://www.keepwalestidy.cymru/eco-schools-at-home
Here you will find the resources to turn your home into an Eco-Home, just like your school. Follow the simple process to assess how eco-friendly your home is and how to take steps to make it (and your household) more eco-friendly.
Remember to share how you get on with Coychurch Primary School and ECO schools by using the #ecoschoolsathome and #coychurchprimary on social media so we can celebrate all your achievements with you.
If you need any help, you can contact Mrs Treadwell at Coychurch Primary or contact Eco Schools at eco-schools@keepwalestidy.cymru.
Sustrans - Active Travel
Please click link for useful information from Sustrans about traveling back to school after Lockdown.
Big Butterfly Count
Join in with the Big Butterfly Count this summer holidays. Download a butterfly I.D chart and contribute to conservation science and research.
Go to https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/ to find out more.
Eco Schools - Plastic Free July - What can you do?
Please copy the link and find out what you can do to support plastic free July.
https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/what-you-can-do/category/getting-started/
Eco-Schools Summer Newsletter (June 2020) can be found on the link below.
Thanks
Sustrans Active Travel- Return to school guidance
ECO Schools, Sustrans - Active Travel and Fairtrade
Activities, links and ideas for home schooling to support parents, children and teachers.
Maya the Eco warrior from Dosbarth 1!
|
Fairtrade Newsletter
Fairtrade stories reached millions from our congregations to classrooms, supermarkets to stations, and across the press and social media - thanks for being involved! Without your Fairtrade campaigning efforts, we wouldn't now have almost 1,000 different Faritrade chocolate bars available in the UK. And we've seen the momentum grow - this year alone, Waitrose and John Lewis have started using Fairtrade cocoa for 100 per cent of their own-brand confectionary. And just last week LIDL launched their amazing new 'Way to go!' Fairtrade chocolate bar.
But there is still a long way to go - as for too many cocoa farmers, te basic necessities remain out of reach. Demonstrated clearly by the coronavirus crisis, it is vital that everyone can access the essentials - like medical care, clean water and food. This is why we still need your support to campaign for all cocoa farmers to earn a living income. Interested in learning more about our fight to change chocolate? Sign up for our online webinar. Althought the live event is now full, we can send you a recording shortly afterwards. You can also still submit your questions in advance of the panel later today.
Best wishes, Angharad Hopkinson and Hannah Adlington-Goulding Communities Campaigns Team |
Active Travel heartbeat activity
|
Active Journeys Champions There are now many ways you as a school (and individuals), as well as parents/guardians can let your local authority know where you would like to see improvements to make walking and cycling easier and safer whilst enabling distancing. CycleStreets have the Widen My Path tool, and Living Streets are also asking for ideas. Remember that parents and guardians can register for Sustrans’ new lockdown newsletter here: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/campaigns/outside-in/ Also, I attach one of the activities from Issue 1 of the newsletter, which is learning about the pulse and how it can vary with physical activity.
|
https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/
Check out the ECO resources and activities for The World Environmental Day on Friday 5th June 2020.
The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature.
Yet, these are exceptional times in which nature is sending us a message:
To care for ourselves we must care for nature.
It’s time to wake up. To take notice. To raise our voices.
It’s time to build back better for People and Planet.
This World Environment Day, it’s Time for Nature.
Daily Mile - Active Travel - It is great that you are still doing the Daily Mile whilst on Lockdown
Message from Sustrans
Dear Schools,
We wanted to let you know about the launch of Sustrans Outside In, a free resource to help parents who are looking after their children at home. Walking, cycling and scooting are great ways to keep active and healthy in body and mind. During this time where we are mostly required to stay at home, these activities become harder to do. Sustrans Outside In provides fun ideas and inspiration for parents to bring
education, health and wellbeing activities into their home. Parents can access resources by registering for our free parent newsletter. Over four weeks, they’ll receive weekly videos, themed activities, games and
challenges designed by our experienced school officers. If you think these resources would be useful to your home schooled students, please let parents know about it.
Share the registration link with parents and carers:
www.sustrans.org.uk/campaigns/outside-in/
To find out more and to see a sample of the resources visit
www.sustrans.org.uk/campaigns/outside-in/sustrans-outside-in-information/
Why not practice your family’s Welsh Language skills and register for the Welsh Language version of the newsletter ‘Tu fas Tu fewn’ aswell!
www.sustrans.org.uk/campaigns/outside-in/tu-fas-tu-fewn-sustrans/
Sustrans
A web link that I would love for you to send on to the school community so that families can ask local councillors for more space for walking and cycling during the pandemic.
https://e-activist.com/page/59487/action/1
Sun Safety - Protection when playing outdoors or taking part in Active Travel
ECO Butterfly Counting survey
ECO Newsletter Summer 2020
Rockpool School
Fairtrade Homelearing resources ages 5- 11
FairTrade Schools News
Did you know that 50% of the UK's food comes from overseas?
Many of the products that you have in your kitchen cupboard have been on quite a journey! Crossing seas and land, your food products might have spent time on a truck, lorry or ship before ending up on your plate.
In this week's Home Learning Challenge, we are thinking about the journey that your products have gone on before reaching the supermarket shelves. Start by watching our short Fairtrade Schools film A Fair Story
After watching 'A Fair Story', download your Home Learning Challenge for some educational fun. This week there are loads of activities to choose from, from gardening to origami!
Here are our favourite two activities this week...
Create a crate of Fairtrade products
This challenge is to create a crate of Fairtrade products using a cube net. You can download a template here or make your own. Decide what Fairtrade product is inside. Remeber to decorate it before you stick it together! Download the full Home Learning Challenge for ideas on how to make a boat for your crates!
Start your own Fairtrade sticker collection
|
|
Have you spotted a sticker with the FAIRTRADE Mark on a piece of fruit? Maybe on your banana? In this week's film, Ruth has her own sticker collection inside her book.
Create your own Fairtrade sticker collection. If your snack has the FAIRTRADE Mark, stick it in! Does the sticker tell you where the fruit comes from?
Send pictures of your crate or sticker collection to schools@fairtrade.org.uk or tag us on Twitter (@FairtradeUKEd) for a chance to be featured in a future newsletter. And don't forget to visit our website for more stories, films and activities.
Best wishes,
Claire, Jo, Joe & Shannon
The Fairtrade Schools Team
Fairtrade School uniform Looking to refresh your school uniform for when schools go back? You can support Fairtrade cotton farmers by choosing Fairtrade polo shirts and school jumpers! Our friends at Koolskools have a fantastic range. Click here to have a browse. |
ForestNation is working with One Earth Show to plant 100,000 trees in Tanzania
To find out more click on the link https://forestnation.com/blog/one-earth-show-pledge-to-plant/
One Earth has teamed up with ForestNation in an effort to plant 100,000 trees by the end of February 2021
One Earth Show
.
School Garden - A big thank you to Jeremy and his wife for looking after our school garden. It is now ready for planting beetroot, cabbages, beans and carrots. Hopefully children will be able to tend and harvest the plants when they return to school.
RSPB 2020 Results Big Schools Bird Watch The results are in...
Our scientists have been busy counting up all the birds that were seen and we can now reveal the results.
The blackbird is still king of the playground, with a huge 85% of schools reporting seeing at least one in their grounds.
The starling is down two positions this year, from second to fourth, with the house sparrow moving up from fifth to third.
This year, the feral pigeon was up by 23%, knocking the jackdaw out of the top 10.
Here’s the full Big Schools’ Birdwatch top 10 for 2020:
The Top 10
- Blackbird
- Woodpigeon
- House sparrow
- Starling
- Carrion crow
- Magpie
- Black headed gull
- Blue tit
- Robin
- Feral pigeon
Active Travel I spy / opposites
Active Travel
Today, a web link that I would love for you to send on to the school community so that families can ask local councillors for more space for walking and cycling during the pandemic.
https://e-activist.com/page/59487/action/1 Also, since it is now National Walking Month, a couple of resources for the encouragement of walking you can share with your pupils.
Grow Your Own Potatoes - Potato resources suitable for home learning
There was a great response to last week's resource suggestions, so here are a couple more with a focus on the upcoming VE Day celebrations.
Social distancing celebrations will be happening all over the country this Friday 8th May, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
Potatoes played a vital role in feeding the nation during World War II. Before the war, Britain imported 55 million tonnes of food a year, once war began this dropped to 12 million tonnes and resulted in rationing of the food that was available. The 'Dig for Victory' campaign was launched to encourage people to grow their own potatoes and vegetables and Potato Pete became a well-known character.
Why not get pupils to create a poster, like the ones below, that could have been used during the war to encourage the public to 'grow their own', they could even display it as part of Friday's celebrations.
Visit the Food - a fact of life Home learning hub for lots of activities around food and cooking during World War II.
Share your VE day posters on the GYOP Facebook @potatoesforschools and Twitter @potatoes4school we would love to see them.
In the meantime, stay well and stay safe.
Sue
Fairtrade UK Education
As part of the Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), 75th Anniversary celebrations on Friday 8th May, stock up #Fairtrade Tea and host your own virtual #Fairtrade Tea Party! Maybe create your own decorations and an invitation to the party or write out a Fairtrade menu. Children can get stuck into some #FairtradeBaking (if you can find self-raising flour) and give family or friends a call! And don't forget to learn about the farmers behind your cuppa. Tweet photos https://twitter.com/FairtradeUKEd or schools@fairtrade.org.uk
Project Seagrass Art Competition @ProjectSeagrass
we’ve teamed up with @nedretandre to host an online exhibition #SeagrassAsArt
Grab some paints & get crafty, we want to see your best seagrass inspired artwork!
Project Seagrass Competition - Deadline 31s tMay
Seagrass Project Assembly
Message from ECO Schools Wales
Eco schools have been busy planning activities that can be completed at home relating to the Eco-Schools topics.
Those of you on facebook or twitter may well have spotted our #EcoSchoolsAtHome posts, encouraging pupils to investigate or take action on a different theme each week. Take a look on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for the latest challenges relating to our ‘Beautiful Butterflies’ and ‘Waste minimisation.’
While pupils continue to learn from home, we will be posting a new challenge every Monday at 10am. Please look out for them and share them with your school community. We are hopeful that by keeping the conversation going we can continue to have a positive impact on our environment. Please let us know what you do using the #EcosShoolsAtHome. For those of you not on social media the latest challenges will be uploaded to the Keep Wales Tidy website every three weeks.
ECO Schools Summer Newsletter
Eco schools home learning - Butterfly identification and wildlife tally charts
ECO - Grow Your own Potatoes Update
Some ECO club children and children in Class 2 were given potatoes to plant at home. I know that some have sent photos or a tweeted updates about their growth. Here are some links to potato and healthy eating resources or activities.
#GYOP share your news
Keep up to date on all things GYOP, send us your updates or share advice with schools for how you are caring for your plants at this tricky time.
Facebook @potatoesforschools and Twitter @potatoes4school
|
Potato resources suitable for home learning With schools closed and children learning from home, we appreciate that it's not possible for all pupils to be directly involved in the growing process of your schools potatoes but there are lots of resources available that can help you keep them included. Here are a few links you might find useful to help educate pupils at home all about potatoes.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful to share with your pupils and remember to take the survey before Friday 8 May. Sue
|
|
Potato resources suitable for home learning With schools closed and children learning from home, we appreciate that it's not possible for all pupils to be directly involved in the growing process of your schools potatoes but there are lots of resources available that can help you keep them included. Here are a few links you might find useful to help educate pupils at home all about potatoes.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful to share with your pupils and remember to take the survey before Friday 8 May. Sue
|
Grow your own potatoes
Cycles for Key workers
Active Travel - Home Learning Curriculum linked resources
Bike Floor Art
Coychurch Primary have won the first Sustrans Gold School Mark Award in Wales for their dedication to active travel.
Coychurch Primary were awarded a Sustrans Gold School Mark Award at an awards ceremony last week. The ceremony was attended by Sustrans Director—Steve Brooks. Also at the ceremony was County Mayor Stuart Baldwin. The Sustrans Gold School Mark is awarded to a school that has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to promoting active and sustainable travel over several years, which has led to significant and lasting organisational, cultural and behavioural changes.
Steve Brooks, Sustrans Cymru, who presented the award said: “Coychurch Primary have gone above and beyond in making active travel an everyday part of school life. Being the first school to achieve the Sustrans Gold Award is a fantastic achievement, it truly shows a dedication to active travel. Walking, cycling or scooting to school should be the safest, easiest and most accessible option for all school children. Changing the way we travel to school is key to tacking air pollution and increasing activity levels amongst children.”
Deputy Transport Minister, Lee Waters said: “I want to congratulate the school and its pupils for achieving this gold award. It’s a great example of how schools can be proactive, challenge travel behaviours and change them for everyone’s benefit, whilst making it fun too. “The Minister for Education and I have agreed that Welsh Government 21st century school projects will have a stronger focus on how pupils get to school, emphasising active travel. Getting the school journey right is crucial and Coychurch Primary School have set a strong example of how things can be done.”
Melanie Treadwell, School Active Travel Champion and Eco Co-ordinator said: “We are delighted that our efforts to promote Active Travel have been recognised by Sustrans Cymru. Becoming the first school in Wales to achieve the Gold School Mark Award is a fantastic accomplishment for our small school and the local community, who have played an instrumental part in our journey towards the Gold award. Actively travelling to school has helped our pupils become more active, have a healthier lifestyle as well as improve their confidence, learning and their achievement.”
County Mayor, Stuart Baldwin said: “This is a fantastic achievement and the children, teachers, governors and staff of Coychurch Primary should all feel very proud of their success. “We are grateful to Welsh Government for their ongoing financial support to encourage Active Travel in Bridgend County Borough. Such schemes are making it possible for more people to leave their cars at home in favour of healthier, greener forms of travel.” Our celebrations were made even more special when we received a video message from Geraint Thomas OBE.
Our day of celebrations got off to an amazing start when all our pupils turned up in their blinged up bikes and scooters. It was so difficult to choose winners and as a little thank you to all the children we made up some goodie bags with stickers, slap bands and badges.
All three of our School Active travel awards—Bronze, Silver and Gold are now proudly displayed in our reception area.
Active Travel
We are proud to announce that we are the first school in Wales to achieve the Sustrans Gold Active School Mark! The school has been working hard towards this award for over a decade.
At Coychurch Primary we continue to support and promote sustainable travel and encourage pupils to travel actively to school each day. Children can also ride their bikes or scooters during break and lunch times.
Active Travel Week:
Monday 27th January 2020 - Friday 31st January 2020
As part of this our Active Travel Programme we'll be having an Active Travel Week between 27th and 31st January when we'll be encouraging all of our children to have an active journey to school. You can choose to walk, scoot or cycle! If parents need to drive, please consider parking further down in the village and walking/scooting/cycling the rest of the way if possible.
* If you're cycling or scooting please remember to wear your helmet to keep you safe! *
Special Celebrations!
On Thursday 30th January 2020 we would like children to 'bling up' their bikes, scooters or themselves (school uniform still required please!) for their journey to school - the theme is GOLD! Dig out your GOLD tinsel, ribbon and baubles and 'Go for GOLD!'. Children who take part in the competition will be given a goodie bag and there will be prizes for the best dressed bike/scooter/child. We will also be taking promotional photographs of parents and children who have taken part which will be promoted in the local press.
At 1:30pm on Thursday 30th January 2020 there will be a celebration to mark our fantastic achievement of being awarded the Sustrans Gold Active School Mark. We will be inviting local dignitaries, cycling celebrities and Welsh Government Ministers to our celebration. The children will be organising a presentation for the visitors. Keep an eye on our Twitter feed @coychurchps for photos of this special occasion!
ECO SCHOOL
As an Eco Platinum School, Coychurch Primary children attended the National Eco Committee Conference
ACTIVE TRAVEL
New Active Travel route from Coychurch to Pencoed - see link below
https://www.bridgend.gov.uk/residents/roads-transport-and-parking/active-travel-routes/