Boys and girls from Junior Infants to Sixth Class had a busy afternoon doing a clean up in and around the school grounds. They used litter pickers and bags and wore hi-vis vests from Team Limerick Clean-up. This is an excellent initiative in promoting a cleaner environment and the pupils learn the value in recycling waste and keeping the community clean. Many thanks to the Green Schools Committee who organised the equipment for the clean up today!

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We are so proud that Kilcornan National School has been awarded Second Place in the Primary Climate Ambassadors Awards! This pilot programme is sponsored by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, with exceptional schools who have achieved all ten Green Flags over the last twenty years invited to participate. The schools selected spanned the country and included counties like Dublin, Donegal, Cork, Sligo and Galway. This was an amazing honour and achievement for fifth and sixth class pupils and the culmination of lots of hard work and the completion of many challenges, including making their own video and carrying out surveys. They have won an amazing prize worth 2,000 euros where a professional artist will visit the school and create a climate ambassadors-based mural. Well done Ms. Mullane and the pupils of fifth and sixth class for flying the Green Flag for Kilcornan National School!

National School were invited to take part in a very special challenge by An Taisce during the month of May. An Taisce's Time Capsule celebrates twenty five years of Green Schools and as such, twenty five schools were chosen from across Ireland to take part. The challenge was to move the time capsule across the country so that it arrives back in Dublin by 31st May. It will then be buried in a mini forest to be opened in twenty five more years. We brainstormed our hopes and dreams as a green school for the next twenty five years and created a poster of the school incorporating these. The time capsule arrived in style to our school via Garda escort no less from Tralee! We then put our poster into it and Travel Officer Sarah kindly carried it on to its' next destination in Galway. We were very honoured to be chosen as part of this challenge and we enjoyed taking part in it.

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Biodiversity Week

Kilcornan National School held Biodiversity Week from the 9th to the 12th May 2023. The children learned the importance of protecting plants and wildlife in their local area. Each class group were given the opportunity to take part in an activity that promotes Biodiversity. Junior Infants to First Class created bird feeders using pipe cleaners, oats, fruit and a perch using lollipop sticks. These are placed outside the window of the children’s classrooms and everyone is waiting patiently for the birds to start feeding! Second to Fourth Class enjoyed planting in the school garden. Second Class planted sunflowers in pots and they are watching out for signs of growth each day. Third class planted beautiful marigolds and petunias in window boxes and Fourth Class planted a range of different vegetables such as spinach, turnip and carrots. The children are excited to taste the vegetables and herbs when they are ready to harvest! Fifth and Sixth Class built a home for the bugs in the area. Using recycled material such as palettes, flower pots, plastic bottles and cardboard, a shelter for bugs was created. Thanks to Ms. Ruddle and Sharon for helping with these.

Thanks also to Heritage Council Ireland. On Wednesday 24th May, Kilcornan National School received a visit from heritage specialist, Carmel Madigan who explored Biodiversity on the school grounds with Third to Sixth Class. The children really enjoyed the visit.

See the photo gallery for more pictures of the week.

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