Pupil joy as Green Flag is back in Altnamackin!

CHILDREN of Cortamlet Primary School are celebrating after once again securing a prestigious ‘green flag’ for their environmental efforts.

And the young ‘eco warriors’ are truly thrilled at being able to hoist their flag high and tell to all and sundry: ‘We’ve done it again!’

The school - at Altnamackin, near Newtownhamilton - has close to 90 pupils.

And from youngest to oldest, all have played a part and ensured this award - of which they are all justifiably proud - shall remain where it belongs.

The flag is the top accolade given out by Eco-Schools Northern Ireland and this is by no means the first time it has been back in Altnamackin.

Indeed, those presenting the award have had to clock up the miles over the years as this is the fifth time that the green flag - which is renewed every two years - has been brought to this brilliant community-minded school.

Christine Whyte is a Primary 6 and 7 teacher at Cortamlet and its understandably delighted Eco-Schools co-ordinator.

It is she who has been leading her young charges and urging them to think green and make a difference.

But she has the support of the whole school, the pupils and their parents in their eco endeavours.

The Ulster Gazette caught up with Mrs Whyte this week as the flag - which was officially awarded in June - was handed over.

And she took time to outline some of the ways in which they have been operating, and initiatives undertaken, which has helped earn them their conservational kudos.

“We get a new flag presented every two years and we are now on our fifth flag,” she proudly informs us.

“We did different initiatives around the school to be awarded the flag. For instance, we have a new pollinator garden that we have planted.

“The children are also planting vegetables. We’ve got a greenhouse made out of two-litre bottles so they can plant their own vegetables and get to eat their own vegetables.

“They have also been cycling and having outdoor play and then the Eco-Schools panel come around and inspect what we have done and then decide if we should be awarded our next flag or not.”

That was a decision easily made when one looks at what the children at Cortamlet have been involved in.

And Mrs Whyte is fully aware that responsible children make for responsible adults. Lessons learned now, like that proverbial pebble in a pond, can bring about great changes when the effects ripple far beyond.

“It’s good for the children, because it means that they are more aware of every day things such as switching off light switches.

“The wee children in the photograph (ABOVE) are part of the Eco Committee so they ensure that all those things are happening around school. It just makes them more eco-friendly.”

When it comes to creative thinking and coming up with ideas, there’s no shortage of sources.

In addition to being able to choose from a set list, these are pupils passionate about the environment and they ensure possibilities are plentiful.

“Eco-Schools NI give you a list of topics and then you pick three of them,” explains Mrs Whyte.

“Last year we chose outdoor learning, healthy living and waste to focus on.”

So here we have young people becoming more aware, learning all about their surroundings, boasting knowledge of the outside inside out!

Essentially, then, it’s about getting the children outdoors?

“It is, definitely,” confirms the Eco-Schools co-ordinator. “And we’ve really been pushing outdoor play and learning.

“We have a wee outdoor classroom, so if we are doing reading group we send the wee group out to the outdoor classroom and they can do their reading out there. Now that we have got our new pollinator garden we’ve got seating out there.

“There’s a wee story area so we get our clipboards and our worksheets and we go out if the weather’s fine and we move out there to do our outdoor work.”

There’s not many positives can be attributed to Covid but, it must be recognised, that the pandemic has played a part too.

At times of social distancing and to ensure the spread of the virus was curtailed as best as possible, there was a change to the way schools operated. There was a change of thinking too.

And that has proven beneficial and continues to influence, it must be said.

“That was the push for our outdoor learning, as we do want to get them out of the classroom more,” says Mrs Whyte.

The fruits of their labours are evident all around Cortamlet Primary School.

And, as the saying goes, many hands make light work.

At present, there’s close to 90 pupils on the roll-book so that’s a lot of little hands - with a few adult helping hands thrown in there too!

So an entire school effort?

“Yes,” is the immediate response. “Right from the little ones, right from our wee Busy Bees, which is our reception class, right up to Primary 7. We all try to get out and they are all in charge of the vegetables and weeding the gardens.

“Our Eco Committee is pupils from Primary 4 to Primary 7.

“There are usually eight on the committee, two from each class, two P4s, two P5s, P6 and P7.

“Our wee Committee would try and meet and come up with new ideas and then they talk about those ideas in the next Assembly to the rest of the school.”

According to Eco-Schools NI, its mission statement is one of “promoting sustainable living through whole-school action supported by learning resources, management tools and the internationally recognised Green Flag award scheme”.

And the governing body for the Green Flag initiative is also fully convinced that shaping tender minds now can make a monumental movement for future generations.

It advises: “Most young people care deeply about environmental issues and wish to make a positive change in the environment around them. The Eco-Schools programme provides an ideal way for fostering environmental awareness in the entire school in a way that links to many curriculum subjects.

“The primary aim of the Eco-Schools programme is to educate and empower young people to make positive decisions and become change makers for an environmentally sustainable world.”

And Cortamlet Primary has well and truly ticked all boxes tickable.

Therefore, anyone passing by can see that here we have environmentally-conscious classes of children who have won their award and are happy to show it.

The Green Flag is flown proudly from the flagpole in the sensory garden to the front of the school - an outward display of success for something which brings an inward sense of satisfaction.

It is an all-inclusive initiative, encompassing all interests, a means of bonding, of social responsibility, bringing boys and girls of all ages together in one common goal.

It surely must bring the person who brings it all together great personal pleasure and pride...

“Absolutely,” adds Mrs Whyte, who has no doubt they will continue to bag their flag each time it comes around.

“I love gardening and getting them outside. You find that it’s the children who maybe don’t like being stuck in the classroom as such that are the ones who want to be a part of the Eco Committee.

“It gives them something else to look forward to. But everyone plays their part and it’s just great to see and be a part of.”