Eco-club 2021-2022

Switch-off fortnight - 8-21 November

Eco-Councillors have been busy for the last 2 weeks checking each class to make sure we have been remembering to turn off lights, computer screens and the interactive whiteboard.  The winning class will be announce on Monday 22nd November during assembly.  Get switching off, save energy and make your contribution to saving our planet!

Bird Feeders

We have been making new bird feeders in eco-club to replace the windswept ones in the environmental area!  We have upcycled milk cartons and added our own little bit of artistic flair to them to make them welcoming for our resident birds.  What do you think?

PICTURES TO FOLLOW

Bottle-top installation

We are proud of our bottle-top installation in the KS2 library.  Plastic bottle tops can be difficult to recycle so we have collected hundreds to make a fantastic display.  Take a look:

PICTURE PENDING

Litter Picking!

Two of our eco-councilors volunteered to go litter picking in Olton on Saturday morning and did a brilliant job at filling  a huge bag full of paper, plastic, glass bottles and cigarette stubs.

Bird Watch

Eco councilors have been busy monitoring the amount of birds found in the local area. The eco team are now going to buy some more bird feeders to attract a wider range of birds.

Eco club

Eco club have been busy exploring minibeasts in the local area. We completed charts and found a large number of creepy crawlies!

These projects were taken from:

The Pod

Big Schools Birdwatch

What's under my feet

If you would like to monitor birds and minibeasts in your local area please print the forms below.

Miss Bayley is always keen to see the results!

Switch off Fortnight

We are taking part in Switch off Fortnight (18th-29th November)

We hope to save lots of energy!

Please remember to switch off as many lights and computers as you can. Eco monitors are checking classrooms and handing out stickers for pupils they spot switching lights off!

Summer planting!

We are still up and running in the polytunnel! If you have any spare seeds/bulbs at home please send them to Miss Bayley!

Thanks,

Eco club and gardening team!

Recycle robots:

We are currently making our own recycle robots. We are creating these from recycled materials and will place them in the classrooms. We will then recycle old batteries, mobile phones and glasses. Please watch this space.

Bird feeders:

Last week eco club made our own bird feeders. We used whisks, cardboard cups and recycled milk cartons. We placed them outside year 1 and 2. We have also placed some in the EYFS outside area. Here are some ideas:

Bird watching donations!

If you have any spare bird feeders / tables at home and would like to donate these to the school please pop these into Miss Bayley. We also need seeds and fat balls (no nuts). This will help us to attract all the birds for the Big Schools Bird Watch.

We have also received a donation from a local company for our Greener Schools Award. Some of the voucher has been used to buy bird feeding equipment.

Greener Schools Award

Congratulations eco team!

Well done to the eco team. All your hard work has paid off. We have achieved the Solihull Greener Schools Award!

Big School Bird Watch

The Big Schools Bird Watch takes place this year from the 26th - 28th January. Next week the eco-councilors will install bird feeders around the school groups to help encourage a range of birds. They will then use the bird spotting sheet to discover which birds like to visit our school.

If you would like a bird spotting sheet to complete this activity at home please ask Miss Bayley.

Switch off Fortnight!

We are taking part in Switch off Fortnight. The eco monitors are checking lights and boards around the school. We would like you to encourage your children to switch off lights at home.

Please find a helpful homework pack.

Global goals

Eco-councillors have asked pupils to create their own superhero characters to represent one of these global goals. The entry can be presented on paper and in any medium. Please hand entries to Miss Bayley. 

Polytunnel

This half term eco-councillors and gardening club would like to plant a variety of fruit and vegetables in the polytunnel. Any seed or plan donations would be appreciated. 

Eco-councillors will also update the eco school action plan. If you have any suggestions for eco projects please inform Miss Bayley. We are currently exploring 'litter' and 'animal homes'. 

Big Schools Birdwatch

We are taking part in the Big Schools Birdwatch. We would like to know about all the different birds you spot in your garden. Why not create a table and record your own results. Our eco councillors are creating their own posters to share around the school. We are also setting up bird feeders and tables to encourage a range of different birds to visit our school.

Eco News

We are taking part in 'Switch off Fortnight' project running from the 20 November - 3 December. Eco councillors have created posters which will be displayed around the school. We are challenging each class to turn off as many electrical items as they can when not in use.

Welcome to the Oak Cottage Eco Council page!

 Eco-Schools is an international award programme that guides schools and pupils on their sustainable journey, providing a simple framework to help make sustainability an integral part of school life. Eco-Schools can help enhance the curriculum and get the whole school united behind something important.

Our mission is to help make our school sustainable and to bring about behaviour change in our pupils and those connected to them so that good habits learned in our school are followed through into homes and communities.

Every half term our eco councillors meet to discuss the ways in which we can improve our school. The children take part in litter picking, energy saving programmes and will often lead assemblies and run competitions. Our projects always involve the whole school and wider community. Last year we were extremely proud to have been awarded the ‘Green Flag Status’. Our hard work and dedication means that our school continues to recycle, reduce and reuse.