Southroyd Primary School

International School Award Climate Change Project

Each year we ensure that our children focus on the topic of sustainability and climate change, building on our history of environmental work (David Bellany Awards, British Council Connecting Classrooms environmental projects).

In previous years we have worked closely with Bachpan School to share our thoughts on reducing global warming and what we can do to reduce its impact. Although international Climate Change Week coincides too closely with Shakespeare Week in school, we are going to move our Climate focus within the school calendar, to share thinking with school and class council, to develop ways in which we can reduce our impact on climate change.

Last year we made personal pledges and shared them with children in Bachpan. This year we will refocus our children's thoughts on the impact of what they are doing and how we can all make a difference to increase sustainability (e.g using renewable energy, reducing wastage, saving energy etc) We will share key texts with our friends in India.

School Council - Switch it Off!

In January, School Council discussed the challenge of energy being wasted and the need to cut our energy use, particularly by reminding our selves to turn off all electronics and lights, when not needed.

School Council set up two tasks, 1) to make posters and 2) to make switch labels to remind everyone to turn off their lights or switch off unwanted power.

Over 60 entries by children, reflected a lot of their thoughts about climate change and our need to "switch off". Big thanks to School Council for coordinating this project.

Download Document

School Council Eco-Monitors

School Council voted to re-instate a system of pupil monitors to help remind classes to save energy! At break times, the eco-monitors have been visiting classrooms and seeing who has remembered to conserve energy - leaving a sad polar bear card (council idea!) in the classrooms if energy is being wasted, and a smiling polar bear card is energy saving is being remembered. Each two weeks a class is rewarded in assembly, for the "greenest" practices!

Feedback from Mrs Murphy Y4

Year 4 have had a really positive experience with climate change. After looking at it in depth through assemblies, stories, literacy based work and topic work on extreme weather the children have a much greater understanding, they had also remembered key facts when discussing the impact humans have on habitats (much later in the year) and recalled many instances where climate change can affect them.

The children are also really keen to make a difference to the environment and make sure the recycle bins are not contaminated, lights are turned off and water is not wasted when they are at the sink.

We have had detailed discussions on why we need to make a difference to climate change and how this could affect future generations if we don't. The children have been eager to learn more around this subject.

Eden's Feedback from Y4

"I really enjoyed learning about climate change because that included learning about extreme weather and when I heard about extreme weather, it was really interesting to learn about real life!"

Year 5 Learning Log homework saw a range of creative forms to share the children's reflections on Earth Hour.

Email Exchange About Earth Hour

To: bachpanhighschool@gmail.com
Subject: Earth Hour

Dear Sanjay Sir and Meena Ma’am,

We are Class 6 Churchill (Miss Tomlinson’s class). Our class were amused to learn that when Miss Tomlinson visited Bachpan, the children called her Jennifer Ma’am- if we called Miss by her first name we think we would probably receive Time Out (which is a bit like detention). In England, we shorten our names a lot- Miss Tomlinson is called Jen at home; if she is called Jennifer in England she thinks that her mum is angry with her! Some of the other names that we shorten in our class are: Finlay (which is shortened to Fin); Dominic (which is shortened to Dom); Joshua (which is shortened to Josh) and Poppy (which is shortened to Pop). Do you shorten any names in India and what are children called when they are in trouble? In England we are often called by our full names if we are naughty.

Recently, we participated in Earth Hour. We also heard that Bachpan took part- what were some of the activities that you enjoyed? Our class had a fantastic time taking a break from Maths and English to play Kho-Kho during Earth Hour; we’re currently revising hard for our SATs (which are our year 6 exams) and enjoyed the opportunity to run around outside. Do you have SATs or any year 6 exams in India? Leejay (a member of our class) particularly enjoyed the game. He reported that it was: “fun and physical, but not violent”. All of our class had a wonderful time- Ellie thinks that: “Kho-Kho is better fun than regular tig”. Unfortunately, just as Miss Tomlinson ran into a wall playing at Bachpan, other members of our class seem to be jinxed too- one of the boys in our class smashed his face onto the floor and chipped his tooth. Oops! You’ll be pleased to know, however, that he is fine now! Are there any more playground games that you think we would enjoy learning and playing?

Another activity that we participated in during Earth Hour was a woodland hunt. In previous lessons we have learnt about the properties of living things, and we explored the living creatures and plants that we could find in our woodland area. Carefully, we sketched what we discovered (we’re going to classify the creatures next lesson). Some of the creatures that we identified included: a hedgehog, crows, slugs, worms and beetles. Most of these creatures enjoy cold, damp habitats (many seemed to enjoy hiding under logs). What creatures do you find near Bachpan? We’ve guessed cows, but we wondered whether there are any scorpions in Surendranangar.

We hope that you enjoyed Earth Hour as much as we did. Please write back, it would be lovely to hear from you.

Yours Sincerely,

Class 6C

Outcomes

All children will be reminded of the impact their choices make on the sustainability of life on earth.

Children will update our school's policy on reducing their impact on climate change.

Discussions with our friends in Bachpan will remind children that the impacts are world wide but the solutions are shared.

Deforestation Project in Year 3

As well as studying the contribution of Chico Mendes to social justice, in the story of rubber plantations, year 3 took time to look at the dangers of deforestation, composing letters to the Ambassador of Brazil as below:

Download Document

School Council launched a challenge for children to design some "switch it off" posters to post all around school.

Download Document

Climate Change Week

During Climate Change Week Evan (from reception) wrote down some of his thoughts about pollution.

School Council eco-monitors visit classrooms at break and lunchtime to reward or remind classes with a red or green polar bear calling card.

Every 2 weeks there is a prize in assembly for the class that earns the most green (smiling polar bear) awards compared to the red (sad polar bear) award!

From: bachpannhighschool@gmail.com

Sat 08/04, 01:59

Hi Southroyd friends,
So nice to hear from you all. Thanks for the mail. I am happy to share with you that I have been appointed as the international link secretary for this academic year. So we will work on many common projects.

On Earth Day , in our town, whosoever wishes, is supposed to switch off electricity for an hour willingly, a step to save energy. So majority of us participated and we were away from all electronic devices. Total electricity cutoff. No fans , no air conditions. No lights. We played games in the open. Planted some trees in our new campus. All the school team members have been assigned one one tree to be taken care off. We have to regularly water it, and take steps to protect them from animals.
One of our science teacher, Chintan Kothari, took around 50 students to Railway Station for Awareness Activity to all passengers coming out. Our young friends had made hand painted slogans which they handed over to all the passengers. They laid their hands on cleanliness of Railway Station. From there they went to one community park and did their cleanliness project.
I liked your idea of visit to your woodland and take note of flora nad fauna over there. So good. we will also plan for something of this sort.
in our neighbourhood we have many domesticated animals like cow, goats, sheep, pigs, dogs, at time camel or horse and some rats. But not in our campus. Scorpions may be there but not seen commonly.
we are happy that you enjoyed kho kho.

When our friends from Bachpan will come to Southroyd in September we will tell them to teach you langadi- hop annd ctch game. that's fun too. Oops for the smashing down friend. it happens a while if you are in too much speed.
Here I end. All the best for your ISA. Waiting for some more activities.... Bye to all.
Poojan Shah