GOOD Shepherd Primary School have celebrated their 40th anniversary at the same time as receiving their Eco-Schools Green Flag, with a week-long series of events culminating in a fun day for pupils.
The school's green credentials have been recognised after their focus on the topics of litter, energy, transport and biodiversity and installed bike racks which encourage the children to cycle to school. Pupils have also been involved in community litter-picking and collecting litter around the school playgrounds daily. The children have become more aware of keeping their environment and community litter free.
GREEN FLAG: Pupils celebrate getting their green eco flag
Teachers at Good Shepherd have spearheaded approaches to ensure pupils become much more aware and put into practice ways of saving energy, therefore reducing wastage in school and at home.
For biodiversity, pupils created and maintained a school garden with the help of Colin Men’s Shed who kindly built and donated a bug hotel which has been a great addition to the garden. Pupils also took part in workshops in which they built bird boxes. These have been installed in the school grounds.
Class teacher Sean Kennedy said: "I am delighted and very proud that The Good Shepherd Primary School has been recognised for the hard work the children have put in, and that they have been rewarded for their effort. It is important that we continue to be more eco-friendly."
FUN DAY: The Good Shepherd PS pupils celebrate their fun day
To celebrate being awarded their green flag on the occasion of their 40th anniversary the school has held a series of events and finished with a fun day.
Teacher Matt Keenan said: "We had a week of celebrations. For our fun day we had a disco, bouncy castle, face-painting and an ice-cream van.
"On Monday we had a whole school Mass, our first since Covid and on Tuesday we had the Crescendo Programme with the Ulster Orchestra. They've been giving children tuition with instruments and about 99 per cent of children in school now play an instrument. Our P3 and P7 classes also played at the Ulster Hall.
"The P7 class were the first to take part in the programme so have now been playing instruments for their entire school lives. On Wednesday we had a community breakfast day where the staff cooked for all the parents and on Wednesday and Thursday we took the kids to the cinema and had an outdoor picnic followed by the big fun day on Friday."
