Eco School

At the end of the last academic year (2008), Gracemount High was awarded an Eco-Schools Silver award in recognition of all the great environmental work that goes on in the school.

The next stage for them is to try and achieve the next level, the top award of a Green Flag for the school.

To help kick-start this effort Gracemount High School held their first ever ‘Eco-week’ from 22-29 September.

The staff and pupils got together with the Learning & Engagement team from Services for Communities to organise a campaign to raise awareness about litter in the school and in the community.

As part of their programme for the week the team held assemblies to highlight the issues caused by litter; social education lessons were devoted to litter issues and ran an eco-quiz; the Council’s Environmental Wardens carried-out unannounced patrols around the school at lunchtimes along with their CCTV van and; the S1s carried out a litter-pick up in the school grounds with clean-up kits provided by the Council. In total 30 bags of rubbish were collected and 2 big bags of plastic bottles for recycling.

Other eco-initiatives that ran in the school during this week of action included staff and pupils having a ‘car free day’ for travelling to school, including two members of staff who walked over four miles to school! And S3 Art & Design students took part in this year’s Charity Chic event buying clothes from charity shops and revamping them into fashionable, desirable items of haute couture!

Mission statements

Waste – GHS will aim to reduce the amount of waste in school.

Litter – GHS will try and change attitudes to litter by encouraging pupils to use bins.

Energy - GHS will make sure that energy is not wasted by creating awareness of how much is used.

School grounds – GHS will encourage diverse use of the school grounds.

Water – GHS will try to raise awareness about conserving water.