The weekly full school assembly on Friday 1st March revisited an assembly Mrs Anderson gave back in September and that is our challenge to achieve an Eco Schools Award.  New- Bridge College prides itself on working to support not just each other but also our role within our community and beyond. The Eco schools award reflects this aim.  We have already achieved the Bronze Award and Congratulations to members of the Eco Club and Schools Council together with Mrs McKinistry and Mrs McIvor  for all their efforts in achieving this.

But we want to put New-Bridge on the map and this requires every one of us to make a contribution. We need to involve the Whole School and Wider Community.  You the pupils and all New-Bridge College staff.

Next week is Uk Climate Week when thousands of events and activities are being planned by organisations from every part of society for Climate Week. The week aims to renew our ambition to create a more sustainable, low-carbon future and to showcase real, practical ways to combat climate change.

So what are we going to do at New-Bridge?

Mrs McIvor has organised a competition for Year 9 who have been designing ECO posters to display around the school to remind us of how we can make a difference. Mrs Anderson has selected 3 deserved winners.

Miss McShane has entered some pupils into Environmental Youth Speak 2013 and Josh Morrison represented the College at the Banbridge heats at the local council offices.

Year 8 preparing for their Assembly next Friday on: Me, We, Our World and are attending WASTEBUSTERS Eco-show at the Iveagh Cinema.

Year 10 Geographers are preparing recycled fashion design

Next week we are challenging everyone to reduce the amount of energy we are using here at New-Bridge by making some simple changes.

Switch off lights when not in use

Turn off computers at end of day and data projectors when not in use.

Turn down the thermostat in rooms/school

Close doors behind you to keep heat in.

The energy required for heating, lighting and powering equipment in an ordinary school classroom releases about 4,000 kg of CO2 every year – enough to fill four hot-air balloons 10 metres in diameter. Surveys show that, through simple low-cost and no-cost measures, schools can reduce their fuel bills by up to 10% while also reducing their CO2 emissions.

We can do more than just reduce the energy we use we can also save our school money. Money we can spend on other things. Mrs Lennon our school bursar has kindly agreed to give us some details on our school energy costs and how we much money we could save.

If all that was not enough going on at New-Bridge it is also Book week next week and keeping on the theme of the environment Mrs Mc Kinstry has some news on non-fiction books which are available in the library for you to enjoy.

Good Luck Everyone and do your best to get involved in one of the many activities planned for Climate Week.