29 MAY 2007 - PUPILS and staff from local primary schools have been getting to grips with big environmental issues with the help of Harrogate Borough Council.

 

As part of an educational package delivered by the council's Environmental Project Officers Lindsay Cook and John Ward Campbell, Great Ouseburn and Bishop Monkton Primary Schools have been taking a fun look at their impact on the environment and have both come up with a serious message.

 

Great Ouseburn School decided that the lessons they had learned were worth passing on to their local residents.

 

Headteacher Garry Smith said:  "The children really enjoyed this project and the idea they came up with was to design a leaflet that would be hand delivered to nearby homes.  This meant there could be no excuse for residents to say they didn't know that the small changes they could make would collectively help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions."

 

At a climate change assembly at Bishop Monkton School, all pupils and teachers signed a Climate Change Promise Scroll outlining 10 ways they can save energy and waste in their school.

 

Lindsay Cook added:  "By using pantomime style audience participation, Professor Wastealot tried to persuade everyone that saving energy was a waste of time.  But the children could see right through him.  They decided that it was worth doing especially when had heard that the school's electricity and heat use produces enough carbon dioxide in volume to fill up their school hall thirtythree times every year.  By being switched on to switching off it should be possible to reduce the school's energy use by 10 per cent each year.

 

The resources and lesson plans for these projects will be available to all primary schools in the district from this September.  ENDS

 

Photos attached. 

Gt Ouseburn climate change 2 Caption - John Ward Campbell is pictured left with Great Ouseburn Primary School pupils and Head Teacher Garry Smith

Gt Ouseburn climage change 3   Caption Pupils deliver climate change message