Sustainability
Food Waste Assembly
On Thursday 18th April, the School Council, Gemma and the visitor, Laura, the Waste and Recycling Visitor Education Centre Coordinator, held a school assembly.
Laura talked with the children about food waste and food miles. The children discussed the 7 steps, for example, the huge process a cereal for breakfast would have gone through before it’s in a bowl ready for us to eat. The children were shocked to hear about ‘food miles’ and to think all the ingredients for a chocolate bar could have travelled 33,600 miles to arrive and be made in the UK! Laura explained how to avoid wasting food: meal plan/list for the exact food a family needs for a week, how some foods can be frozen to eat another day, using a compost bin, growing your own food, for example, herbs on a windowsill or growing potatoes in a bag! The children and staff were positive about a step they could make to help decrease the 4.5 million tonnes of food waste every year!
The School Council and Gemma talked about the school’s Mindful Garden and what we had successfully grown: potatoes, carrots, onions, herbs (mint, thyme, basil, sage), garlic, lettuce, strawberries and blueberries! Wow – what ‘green fingers’ the School Council children and Gemma have! The children had a variety of ideas of what we could cook with these ingredients and were proud of the zero ‘food miles’ Brighton Avenue Primary School’s fruit, vegetables and herbs have covered!
On Thursday 25th April, the School Council, myself and Gemma will visit Laura, at the Education Centre Recycling Centre, to explore what we can make from the food we have grown! We can’t wait!
Mrs Kevan
Deputy Head
Campground Waste and Recycling Centre, Gateshead, March 2024.
On the 21st March, the Eco Warriors, myself and staff visited the Waste and Recycling Centre, in Wrekenton, with the local Recycling Centre Coordinator, Laura. The children were interested to see how waste has been successfully recycled, what strict safety guidelines are in place and the variety of jobs involved here.
The first part of the visit was to the largest bunker where Laura explained to the Eco Warriors how energy is created from waste. We witnessed waste collection vehicles discharging waste, for example from our household bins, which will be fed into a furnace, then burned so the gases travel through a boiler transferring heat to water creating steam: the steam drives a turbine which then generates electricity to be exported to the National Grid. The ash created from the burning process is also recycled into construction materials. Everyone was so proud that we no longer bury our general waste in landfill sites!
Outside, the Eco Warriors explored the different containers for different types of waste, e.g., plastic, cardboard, garden waste, oil, tyres, electrical goods etc to understand the process of recycling. Laura explained how what some people think is waste, e.g., a wooden table, would be encouraged to consider possibly giving away such items on reuse websites, or donating to a charity shop, sold or upcycled.
Remember, recycling is one of the easiest and most effective ways we can take care of our planet!
In school, please continue to recycle your used batteries, in the main office, and to use our Clothes Bank, by the Community Room doors.
Mrs Kevan and the Eco Warriors.
Brighton Avenue Primary School's Eco Suggestion Box.
On Friday 22nd March, Lou Millington, a Project Officer from Sustrans in Gateshead, worked with the Eco Warriors. We were going to discover what the children in our school had posted in the Eco Suggestion Box, which is in the school library, following their pupil assemblies to launch this box.
The Eco Warriors were excited to discuss and debate the variety of Early Years, KS1 and KS2 responses relating to how we can travel to school and how we can improve the number of cars and pollution on Liddell Terrace and Brighton Road. The suggestions were:
- Reducing traffic on Liddell Terrace and Brighton Road:
-one way driving
-more yellow lines
-permit holders (so only the houses can park here)
-parking for the chemist and St Chad’s: markings on the road which state only park if going to the chemist or St Chad’s
-School bus that picks up children but a few streets away from the school gates
-Fines from school if cars park on the path or if cars and drivers argue with each other
- Pollution from cars
-children wearing masks
-children wearing ear-muffs because cars are noisy
- Only certain vehicles allowed:
-delivery for businesses
-disabled
-electric charging
-bikes
- Walking ‘bus’ by School Crossing Patrol (lollipop person), teachers, parents, governors, Lou
- Rubbish: all types of rubbish, also dog poo – cleaned up by bin people
- Maps: Eco Warriors to draw easy maps to hand out to show parents and children where to park for ‘Park and Stride’
We began exploring the options for the next steps, including letters to Gateshead Council, communicating with parents and carers on the website and Weduc, designing posters or maps to encourage options and links with the Travel Tracker.
The Eco Warriors will keep you informed!
Mrs Kevan (Deputy)
Travel Tracker – My Voice Matters: Children’s Mental Health Week (February 2024)
On Friday 2nd February, Lou Millington, a Project Officer from Sustrans in Gateshead, worked with the Eco Warriors to talk about what they were doing: Travel Tracker, Agents of Change (sustainability), meetings about glue that can be recycled, bird feeders, Mindful Garden and classes recycling - eco-bricks.
Like our school, Lou explained her job and her focus is also Sustainable Travel; she was so proud of the children explaining ‘Park and Stride’ and the impact this can have.
Lou explained how she had spent time with myself (Mrs Kevan) on Liddell Terrace, at 8:30am, and discussed her observations of how our children travelled to school and transport on Liddell Terrace when dropping children off.
We discussed Children’s Mental Health Week theme, next week, is ‘My Voice Matters’ so the children shared what they like about their journey to school and what they would like to change. This will be part of the ‘My Voice Matter’ assemblies next week that the Eco Warriors and Lou share with the school – we can’t wait!
Mrs Kevan (Deputy)
Bird Feeder Workshop.
RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch: 8th January to the 19th February 2024.
On Thursday 11th January, the local Recycling Centre Coordinator, Laura, worked with the Eco Warriors and then with the School Council to make bird feeders!
Laura discussed the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) Big Schools’ Birdwatch, running from the 8th January to the 19th February 2024. We discussed birds we have spotted in the school grounds, at home or Saltwell Park and Laura showed the variety of birds that we could possibly spot.
Making the bird feeders was brilliant: clear steps to follow and all the children were so proud that they made a bird feeder. Some parts were tricky but the Eco Warriors and School Council showed their resilience and successfully completed each step!
The children, Mrs Kevan and Gemma are looking forward to continuing making these, for example, during Golden Day, Wellbeing Wednesdays and using these bird feeders in our Mindful Garden to encourage a variety of birds in our environment.
Mrs Kevan and Gemma.
Sustainable Solutions: Carbon Footprint.
On Friday 12th January, Simon from ‘Learn Play Nexus’, visited the Eco Warriors. After looking at the carbon footprint made by the equipment that our school buys, Mrs Mowbray (School Business Manager) had informed the Eco Warriors about the company Learn Play Nexus. They consider the environmental consequences of their actions, make sustainability their top priority when designing a new product and have adapted the business to become more ethical and environmentally friendly.
Schools of our size can use 5,000 to 6,000 glue sticks/year, which because of the plastic, have to be thrown away and will go to landfill. Here, about 48-millions glue sticks could fill 14 football pitches!
Simon told the Eco Warriors the company have used recyclable packaging to launch the very first reusable glue stick, which is a sustainable way to produce a product, whilst keeping the same great quality. The Eco Warriors enjoyed using the ‘U-fill’ glue sticks to try a type of stationery that is refillable! They saw how easy it was to place the refill canister inside the glue dispenser so this can always be refilled and reused! Reuse, refill and rethink with ‘U-fill’, the most eco-friendly glue sticks for school!
The Eco Warriors asked Simon questions about the U-fill stick and are keen to adopt their eco refill and reuse system so Brighton Avenue Primary School can stop sending glue sticks to landfill.
Watch this space,
Mrs Kevan and the Eco Warriors.
Keep Active!
The Eco Warriors and I hope you have all enjoyed a well-deserved break.
Our school enjoyed the first term of WOW Travel Tracker, collecting their WOW badges and Strider visiting school, so we’d like to say a massive well done and thank you for everyone travelling actively to school last term, e.g., walking, wheeling, cycling, scooting. In the autumn term, 58% of our pupils travelled to school one of these ways.
Our collective commitment to active travel will have a positive impact on pupils’ health and wellbeing as well as air pollution and dangerous congestion around schools. Remember Park and Stride is an opportunity, if you’re driving, to park on, e.g., Saltwell Place or Bensham Avenue or Rawling Road and then walk to school. For the autumn term Travel Tracker, Brighton Avenue increased our Park and Stride to 13%, with Year 4s being the active Park and Stride stars for autumn term!
In different schools, over 6 million journeys were recorded on the WOW Travel Tracker in the autumn term across England, Wales and Scotland and an amazing 82% of those trips were active! At Brighton Avenue, our active-stars for the term are:
Year 1s - 91% active
Year 3s - 81% active
Year 6s - 85% active
Well done!
Think about the start to January you can make to travel actively, improve our environment and health and wellbeing.
Mrs Kevan and the Eco Warriors.
Recycling Christmas and holiday waste.
An extra 12% of waste is created during the festive period, and despite much of it being recyclable, some of it is perhaps surprisingly not.
To help you know what you should and shouldn't be putting in your blue recycling bin this festive period, check out this helpful list of Christmas essentials:
Please recycle in your blue bin:
• Glass bottles and jars – make sure they’re clean and there’s no liquid left in them
• Plastic bottles and cartons – remember to wash and squash
• Cardboard
• Aluminium cans and containers - including biscuit tins – give them a rinse and squash if possible
• Aerosols
• Paper and cardboard, including packaging – take the polystyrene out first, and make sure it’s dry
Don't put in your own blue bin:
• Batteries – can be damaged during processing and cause fires. For recycling points, please use Brighton Avenue Primary School
• Glitter, or any items featuring glitter
• Food
• Dirty and greasy food containers
• Wrapping paper – difficult to recycle due to tape, foil and other contaminants
• Christmas decorations – no tinsel, holly wreaths, lights, or baubles
• Greetings cards featuring glitter, glue or foil
• Christmas trees – chop them up and put them in your garden waste, or take to a Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)
• Electrical items – can instead be recycled at your local HWRC
Please remember to use our school recycling for:
. batteries
. please donate uniform, winter clothes and winter items for our half-termly 'Uniform and Winter Shops.'
. clothes bank
Enjoy the holidays and see you in the new year!
Mrs Kevan and the Eco Warriors.
Reduce your energy bills
The Eco Warriors thought about important New Year Resolutions, for the homes of our families, and talked about these simple tips, from Citizens Advice Gateshead, which can add up to significant savings on fuel costs:
- Don’t leave electricals on standby, switch them off at the wall.
- Avoid charging devices overnight. Chargers don’t know when a device is fully charged, which means they will use the same amount of energy whether a phone is charging or fully charged.
- Only fill the kettle with the amount of water needed. Kettles are one of the highest users of electricity in a property and the more water they have in them, the more electricity is used.
- When drying clothes, don’t put them directly on a radiator as this can affect its ability to heat the room. Use a drying rack next to the radiator and open a window slightly to prevent condensation that could lead to mould.
- Turn down the boiler flow temperature for heating and hot water. Find out how at energysavingtrust.org.uk
- Heat your home as efficiently as possible by heating the room you are in, while you’re in it. 18-21°C should be adequate for rooms that you’re most sedentary in, like the living room.
- Open curtains in the morning and close them at sunset. Letting sunlight into a room can help raise the temperature by a few degrees.
- Block draughts around windows, doors, chimneys, flooring, loft hatches, pipework and cracks in walls.
- Plug in radiators and heaters use a lot of electricity, so use them sparingly.
- Move furniture away from radiators to let warm air circulate better.
WOW - Travel Tracker!
Our children have been sharing their Pupil Voice about 'Travel Trackers'. They are proud to now 'Park and Stride'; happy that they've told their families about pollution and we have to make a change; being healthier by walking more; loved the 'Road Safety Week' UKS2 bike4health course in school; fresh air and exercise is good for their mental wellbeing; Travel Tracker is easy to do every Friday in their classes; they like wearing the Travel Tracker badges they have gained on school uniform and that it was exciting to meet 'Strider' on Liddell Terrace!
Strider, from 'Living Streets', was also to remind everyone about safe parking, Park and Stride so less pollution around our school, travelling sustainably (walking, cycling, scooting, Park and Stride) and how important it is for our own health and wellbeing.
I'm sure we'll see Strider again!
Mrs Kevan
Autumn 2023
Brighton Avenue Primary School's Eco Team: Sustainability.
Sustainability is about small changes we can make to help look after the planet. Making these changes helps protect animals, plants and our natural resources so that future generations will be able to enjoy them.
I work with a group of children – the Eco Team – to learn and understand more about climate change and recycling; our activities are linked to curriculum subjects and with any current events, for example, the current flooding in parts of the UK: we want to understand the impact we could have to support our future generations.
The Agents of Change: is an inspirational programme which excites and engages the Eco team and empowers them to take positive action in support of a brighter future! The Greggs Foundation, a grant-making charity, are working hard to tackle food insecurity through an important new partnership with Rethink Food: working towards revolutionising food education, to take a proactive approach in educating school children on the importance of making sustainable and healthy choices – The Agents of Change.
Currently the team are working with Agent A who is helping them to understand the impact of theirs, and others, lifestyle choices: climate change, greenhouse gases, fossil fuels, renewable versus non-renewables.
Two current projects of the children are the ‘Living Streets’ project to encourage the whole school to travel sustainably and creating our own ‘eco bricks’ (see further information below).
The Eco team want to raise the awareness of sustainability through, for example, meetings, activities, assemblies, ‘Winter Shop’ with Gemma (Family Support Worker) and visitors; also, messages shared with parents/carers on the school website and WeDuc App, e.g. Sustainability page: also, on the School Newsletters.
Mrs Kevan
Deputy Head
Recycle Week 16th - 22nd October 2023 - The Big Recycling Hunt!
Recycle Week is a annual event to promote and celebrate the importance of reducing our waste. Recycling is very important for the environment and we need to reduce, reuse and recycle resources: the children had school assemblies and their Wellbeing Wednesday time (theme 'discover') about Recycle Week.
Recycle Week hopes to make people more aware of items that can be recycled at home but are sometimes missed.
How can we help?
School Mindful Garden:
Use the plastic, which cannot be recycled, to fill a plastic milk bottle from school. The plastic bottle and bags must be washed, left to dry and then the bags are pushed into the bottle so it is full to the top to make an 'eco-brick'!
What will the 'eco-bricks' do?
We will use them to create tables and benches in the Mindful Garden!
We can work together, both doing this at home and in the classrooms, to support what we can recycle and reuse them to help the climate crisis. Please ask a member of your child's classroom staff, if you would like the school's plastic milk bottle, so we will have the same size eco-bricks to reuse.
Thank you for your time,
Mrs Kevan
Deputy Head.
Green Heart Collective shop Gateshead re-opening!
Wednesday 13th September 2023.
Mrs Kevan, two children from the Eco team and Gemma (Family Support Worker) were invited to visit the re-opening celebration of the Green Heart Collective shop on Wednesday 13th September 2023. When Brighton Avenue Primary School originally liaised with the Green Heart Collective shop (for example, our Upcycling Fashion Show) their shop was in the Team Valley; however, the Green Heart was very excited to be moving to Gateshead High Street!
The Green Heart Collective is a social enterprise, dedicated to reducing waste to landfill by providing an attractive and sustainable alternative to buying new. Before the official opening on Wednesday, we were invited in by Helen and Andy, the founders, to see inside the new High Street shop. The Green Heart’s fresh initiative takes preloved clothing and other items, where necessary repairing and reworking them, to sell them in curated collections online and in store.
The Green Heart Collective shop was officially opened by the Mayor of Gateshead, Councillor Eileen McMaster, who gave a speech about her passion for Gateshead and the importance of the High Street for our community. After everyone went inside the shop, including the Green Heart Collective shop-dog, Custard, Andy also gave a speech about their vision for being in the centre of Gateshead. This included the opportunity for links with other local businesses, who support the needs of the community, and our school because the younger generation can make a difference to our planet.
Myself, the children and Gemma were proud to be part of this special event and to continue our links with the community!
Mrs Kevan
Deputy Headteacher
WOW Living Streets Project 2023-2024!
Living Streets is a UK charity for everyday walking. It was founded in 1929 as the Pedestrians' Association and became known as the Pedestrians' Association for Road Safety. The charity is best known for its Walk to School campaign, which has been going for over 20 years and supports over one million children in 4000 schools to walk more. On average, the charity encourages 23% more primary school children to walk to school and reduces congestion by 30% outside the school gates.
This year, we are pleased to announce the children will take part in the Living Streets challenge which sees them rewarded with badges. This project will be a pupil-led initiative where the children self-report how they get to school. The children will record their weekly travel every Friday using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. If they travel sustainably (walk/wheel, cycle or scoot) once a week for a month, they get rewarded with a badge. It's that easy!
The children attended an assembly, lead by Don Kent from Living Streets, to introduce them to their new whole school project for the coming academic year. Take a look at some of the information the children received and what they will be doing!
Mrs Kevan
Deputy Head
Summer 2023
Eco Warriors Metrocentre Eco-Hunt!
I am so proud that Brighton Avenue Primary School was selected, with some other North East schools, to take part in the 'Greggs Foundation' Agents of Change (Sustainability) Eco-treasure hunt!
On Thursday 22nd June, 4 children from each of the attending schools, arrived at the Metrocentre to meet the Agents of Change adults, who up to this point we'd only met them and the other schools, virtually on our Agents of Change quizzes! They explained the challenge was for the children to use a map to find 10 different stations (in order from a given number) and complete activities to test their sustainability knowledge: if they correctly answered the questions/activities in a set-time, they received a sticker to give them 30 seconds additional time in the very final mission!
The Eco Warriors were amazing at not only finding the stations, but also using their sustainability knowledge to complete the activities, receive all the additional 30 second-stickers available and then complete the final challenge! They had to use a number/alphabet circle to break the codes of a variety of puzzles and spell the words as quickly as they could - wow: they were praised for their knowledge, resilience, teamwork, communication and politeness throughout the whole morning adventure!
The Eco Warriors said they had fun, were challenged, it was brilliant and they were proud of their knowledge; they even said that they were tired after so much fast-paced walking around the Metrocentre to find the sustainability-stations!
They were absolute STARS!
Mrs Kevan
King's Coronation Day!
Recycling.
On Friday May 5th, 2023, our whole school celebrated the King's Coronation, which is happening on Saturday 6th May. We explained to the children how His Majesty the King will celebrate his coronation but the accession of Queen Elizabeth II was on 6th February 1952. Every class made bunting and flags, to decorate outside the school, and did a variety of activities, e.g. afternoon tea parties, making teacups and plates, designing menus, creating timelines, portraits, collages, stamps, poems and solving problems! (Please see 'Children's Class Pages' for photographs).
The children and staff also enjoyed a special lunch, but because of the rain, celebrated inside instead of outside. The children had a plastic water bottle and were all keen to recycle these! The Early Years will be planting their seeds, e.g. sunflower seeds soon, and are going to use the plastic water bottles so every child can plant & grow their own seed using this recycled container!
We explained to the children that as well as our staff being proud of the difference we are making to sustainability (see the photos below of the dinner staff recycling with the children), that King Charles III would also be proud because he is passionate about making a difference to climate change. King Charles III has always been an active campaigner for the environment for more than 5 decades, e.g. in 1970, aged 21, he gave his first speech on the major issue, warning of the dangerous effects of plastic pollution.
Enjoy your Coronation of the King weekend everyone and keep recycling,
Mrs Kevan and the Eco Warriors.
'Three R's' school assemblies, April 2023.
This week, the local Recycling Centre Coordinator, Laura, visited our school to talk about recycling and challenge our children, in different Key Stages (EYS to UKS2), with a recycling quiz. The children were proud to tell Laura about how we can recycle in school: bring in our used batteries, our clothes and shoes to our Clothes Bank, and classroom paper and compost bins.
Laura talked about what waste is, the '3 R's' (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), the different containers in our homes, school and community for different types of waste, e.g. plastic, cardboard, garden waste to understand the process of recycling and why we need a happier planet. The children enjoyed answering and asking questions, with a wonderful reaction to the thumbs up/down quiz when deciding what items could be recycled. Myself and the Eco Warriors were proud when the children could explain to Laura the reasons why a used cardboard pizza box could not be recycled and Reception children could explain why tins and milk bottles had to be washed before putting in your blue recyclable bin at home.
Remember, every time you want to throw something in the bin, STOP and THINK about the three Rs.
Can you reduce it? Can you reuse it? Can you recycle it?
Mrs Kevan and the Eco Warriors.
Eco Warriors visit the Campground Waste and Recycling Centre, Gateshead, March 2023.
Today, myself and the Eco Warriors visited the Waste and Recycling Centre with their staff, Hannah and the Coordinator Laura. It was interesting to see how currently the 66% of recycled waste in Gateshead has been successfully recycled, what strict safety guidelines are in place and the variety of jobs involved here.
The Eco Warriors explored the different containers for different types of waste, e.g. plastic, cardboard, garden waste, oil, tyres, electrical goods etc to understand the process of recycling.
Back in the Education Centre, Laura explained to the Eco Warriors the final part of our visit and how energy is created from waste: we witnessed waste collection vehicles discharging waste into the largest bunker, which will be fed into a furnace, then burned so the gases travel through a boiler transferring heat to water creating steam: the steam drives a turbine which then generates electricity to be exported to the National Grid. The ash created from the burning process is also recycled into construction materials.
Remember, recycling is one of the easiest and most effective ways we can take care of our planet!
In school, please continue to recycle your used batteries, in the main office, and to use our Clothes Bank, by the Community Room doors.
Mrs Kevan and the Eco Warriors.
Eco Warriors - Agents of Change – virtual quiz with other schools - 2nd place!
On March 30th, the Eco Warriors, who are part of the ‘Agents of Change’ programme (supported by Greggs Foundation, ‘Rethink Food’), were excited to be part of our second live virtual quiz, with other schools in England! The live, interactive quiz explored what our Eco Warriors have learnt about sustainability; the range of questions offering a variety of options to answer, e.g. true/false or picking percentages or an answer A,B,C,D: the quicker you answer correctly also allows more points. The Eco Warriors were split into smaller teams for this event.
We were so proud to have one of our teams finish in second place - WOW! Huge well done to these two girls, the 'strawnanas' (strawberries and bananas!)
After the quiz, the Eco Warrior teams said:
My knowledge was from our Eco Warrior lessons and my science lessons.
I am proud to come second - it was good fun!
I enjoyed the quiz but it was challenging! I want to be in the top 5 next time.
I loved it!
I really enjoyed it!
We're looking forward to the next virtual quiz with other schools in England!
Mrs Kevan.
Tuesday 14th March 2023 - Connecting Schools To Nature Project.
Our School Council and Eco Warriors were proud to be selected to host a stall to showcase some of the fantastic green transformation work we are doing here at Brighton Avenue Primary School. The purpose of the Hancock Museum event is to give out prizes and awards to schools, including framed certificates for participation. Volunteers and staff from the project, hosted this private event, with one of our Vice Chair of Governors, representatives from environmental organisations, universities, funding bodies, the council, local MP and members from the press, also invited to this amazing event.
Katie, from the British Ecological Society, stated, 'It was so lovely to see all of the photos and everything the pupils had been up to; I especially loved the '5 ways to wellbeing' work they had been doing. So amazing and inspiring to see the pupils and staff!'
Dr Kate Holden, Vice Chair of Brighton Avenue Primary School Governors and Learning Officer at Great North Museum: Hancock, stated, ‘I’m really excited that the children of Brighton Avenue Primary School have been able to take part in this project and so impressed with the work that they have done to think about nature and their school grounds. I hope this will take them on to loads more learning about nature in their local area.'
We are so proud of the Eco Warriors and School Council,
Mrs Kevan
UKS2 Nature Rangers!
UKS2 were visited by the Nature Rangers (from Northumbria University) on the 9th of March. After discussing what they thought 'nature' was, they explored around the school with the challenge of creating a class version of 'nature'. A variety of natural and man-made materials were used when the children were representing animals or insects, when they knew animals/insects wouldn't be available to collect and be on the final version. The children really enjoyed the sensory experience and final version, discussing how this could change during the 4 seasons.
Eco Warriors - Agents of Change – virtual quiz with other schools.
In February, the Eco Warriors, who are part of the ‘Agents of Change’ programme (supported by Greggs Foundation, ‘Rethink Food’), gave us the opportunity to be part of our first-ever live quiz, with other schools in England! The live, interactive quizzes will explore what our Eco Warriors have learnt about sustainability; the range of questions offering a variety of options to answer, e.g. true/false or picking percentages or an answer A,B,C,D: the quicker you answer correctly also allows more points. The Eco Warriors said this experience, virtual contact with other ‘Agents’ in England and the fun way to explore their knowledge was brilliant!
After the quiz, Sophie, from Rethink Food, Greggs ‘Agents of Change’ emailed the following:
“Thank you so much for taking part in our live quiz yesterday. We love seeing you all! Please find attached a certificate for your school to say a massive thank you and well done for all your great answers! We hope to see you again for the next one.” We can’t wait!
Mrs Kevan.
Brighton Avenue Primary School's Eco Warriors: Waste and Recycling.
I work with a group of children – the Eco Warriors – to learn and understand more about climate change and recycling; our activities are linked to curriculum subjects and with any current events, for example, the current flooding in parts of England and Wales: we want to understand the impact we could have to support our future generations. The Eco Warriors want to raise the awareness of sustainability and recycling through meetings, activities, assemblies, Winter Shop with Gemma (Family Support Worker) and visitors; also, messages shared with parents/carers on the school website and WeDuc App, e.g. Sustainability page, School Newsletters.
Laura Farrell-Pronesti, Waste & Recycling Visitor Education Centre Coordinator.
On Monday 16th January 2023, the Eco Warriors worked in school with Laura, who previously visited the Year 2s in December for a recycled Christmas decoration workshop.
The children were asked a range of questions, shown images and had a variety of discussions. The focus was on how school could recycle the high-amount of plastic milk bottles we use in school: they are currently recycled in the school’s recycled bin for plastic and cardboard. Following the range of ideas from Laura, the Eco Warriors were discussing the ideas of what we could do in school to make a difference to our recycling, community and environment. They were buzzing to think when we make this change, the ripple effect and influence this would have!
The Eco Warriors will now spend time to decide on the outcome and understand the impact we can have in our school and community: next will be some interesting discussions with the SLT, School Council and school before deciding our next steps!
"It's important to think about how each of us can act to reduce climate change. Remember that lots of people, taking small actions, leads to big change!"
We look forward to making a difference!
Mrs Kevan (Deputy Head)
A Nature Ranger - Brighton Avenue's Nature Trail.
On the 13th January, Year 2 children, were excited to have a visitor come in to carry out a ‘nature trial’ around our school! The ‘Nature Ranger’, from the Natural History Society of Northumbria, was enthusiastic to inspire the children how they could be a ‘Young North East Naturalist’.
The children were looking at sustainability and finding out ways they could help and make a difference; they went on a nature trial around the school and then they got to paint these items using water-colours. The children had a great afternoon!
I am thrilled that the Nature Rangers are exploring a nature trail with all the classes of children in KS1 and KS2 over the spring term.
Mrs Kevan
Deputy
Recycle right this festive period.
An extra 25% of waste is created during the festive period so below is information from Gateshead Council about what you can / cannot recycle and where it could go.
And of course remember, when we return on Monday 9th January 2023, that Brighton Avenue Primary School recycle used batteries (in the main entrance) and we have the clothes bank outside the Community Room entrance.
We can't wait to see what you recycle at the start of the new year!
The Eco-team wish you all a Merry Christmas and enjoy your holiday.
Mrs Kevan
KS1 Recycled Christmas Decorations!
On the 14th December, the Year 2 children enjoyed an eco-friendly Christmas craft workshop! The children talked about recycling in our school and community then learnt about where Gateshead’s rubbish goes and what recycling happens. The children had fun using recycled materials to make their own Christmas decoration and were thrilled to take the decoration home to explain how it was made with their families!
British Ecological Society Visit School
On Thursday 18th November, BES came into school to complete a Bird Workshop. Year 3W were excited to learn the names of common British birds and how to identify them by looking at their footprints. The children also learnt how to use binoculars to look at birds and used an identifying chart to find out their names. Unfortunately, the weather meant that the bird watching had to be done from the window but the children are looking forward to being able to bird watch when they are outside.
National Recycling Week
17th - 23rd October 2022.
This is the week of recycling so please remember to bring in your used batteries and also use our clothes bank, which next to the Community Room doors.
Please keep upcycling!
Mrs Kevan and the Eco-team.
Sustainability
On Monday 26th September the LKS2 classes were visited by Civil Engineer, Jessica Clark. Jessica showed some amazing projects she is involved in and what her job consists of. She then presented the importance of sustainability and looking after our environment. The classes worked in teams to design a sustainable product and present it to the rest of the class. The children had fantastic ideas and I'm sure some will definitely consider a career path in Civil Engineering!
Gateshead Big Green Week - Green Heart Collective visitor.
LKS2 were visited by Helen from Green Heart Collective - the eco-friendly shop in Team Valley – who talked to them about sustainability as well as having an attitude of gratitude. She explained how important it is to be grateful for the things we have and not to be jealous of what others have. The children all shared their ideas of what they are grateful for before creating some beautiful posters promoting the idea of having an Attitude of Gratitude!
What are you grateful for?
Mrs Kevan and the Eco-team.
Gateshead BIG Green Week!
24th September - 2nd October 2022.
The Great Big Green Week is the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature – everyone’s invited!
Help make the 24 September - 2 October 2022 the greatest, biggest, greenest week the UK has ever seen!
Think about what you can do in your home, with family and in your community, or find an event to attend in your local area – see The Great Big Green website page.
Gateshead Great Big Green Week 30.09.22
In Reception, we have been talking about the Great Big Green Week: an event in Gateshead designed to inspire our school to help nature and tackle climate change together. The Reception children talked about the story, ‘Somebody Swallowed Stanley’, and had great ideas for where we should put our rubbish: bins and recycled bins. They enjoyed seeing where in school we can put used batteries and clothes from home, our class compost and paper bins. Think about what we all can do at home to make a difference!
See Children, Class Pages 2022-2023 for what other classes have all been doing!
Ikea's Let's Go Zero competition - the Eco-team are the runners-up!
Thursday 15th September 2022.
Well done Brighton Avenue Primary School and our community!
The Eco-team entered an Ikea 'Let's Go Zero' competition about the changes we have made as a school and our work in the community: Recycling Centre and Green Heart Collective. Ikea were really impressed with the support we have had from our staff, parents/carers and community to make a difference: classroom paper recycling, used batteries recycling, clothes bank, Weduc App (to reduce paper) and upcycling. We are really proud to have won a £250 Ikea voucher for our school!
'The climate is changing and so should we - we cannot wait until we are older,' the Eco-team.
'The future of humanity and indeed all life on earth depends on us,' Sir David Attenborough.
'The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for,' Ernest Hemingway, Author.
We will continue to champion change this academic year!
Mrs Kevan (Deputy Headteacher)
Clothes Recycling Bin - Eco-team:
We now have a recycle bin in school - this is located just outside the community room and can be used to recycle any old / unwanted clothes or shoes.
Please feel free to put your items into this bin but can you please ensure that your items are put into this bin inside a bag (either a bin bag or carrier bag, whatever is easier).
Any questions please ask in the school office.
Eco-team 'Let's Talk Rubbish and UKS2 Upcycling Fashion Show.
In July, the Eco-team and UKS2 presented information to the school and special visitors, Anne from the Wrekenton Recycling Centre and Helen from Green Heart Collective, about understanding the purpose of 'upcycling' and knowing the x3 R's when managing waste: reduce, reuse, recycle.
Helen had kindly donated plain t-shirts, for the UKS2 children, to upcycle: this is the process of transforming clothing/material into a new product. The x3 classes were inspired for the next academic year to use their upcycled t-shirts in x3 areas in our school: dinnertime Buddies, Forest School and for sporting events/physical fitness peers. (Please see UKS2 Class Pages website for more photographs).
Helen: “Wow! How creative! These young people each took a plain t-shirt, followed a theme and interpreted it in their own way. It was lovely to see the pride on their faces as they modelled their creations and promoted upcycling as a fun way of prolonging the life of slightly damaged clothing. I look forward to seeing more ideas from the school eco-team.”
At the end, when asking staff and children how they would now make a difference, it was an inspiration to hear examples of the x3 R's and upcycling given!
I was so proud - Mrs Kevan! (Deputy & Eco-team)
Eco-team: 'Special Events' website page:
Please see the Special Events website page for the Eco-team's projects in the 21-22 academic year and community links with Green Heart Collective and Wrekenton Recycling Centre.