Projects still to do - (as of 27th Nov 2020)
1. Eco - Warriors to build a bug hotel with Jane
2. Storage shed - Will be up on 18th Dec
3. Build the animal enclosure for the children to enter to hold and look after animals.
4. To board up and equip the animal shed
5. To build folding table on the back of the sheds for field work etc
6. To build a pagoda over the area by the gate to grow up some flowers and create a grassy but shaded area for a class to work in.
7. To create a contemplation zone.
Were we are up to now - 27th November 2020
Wildlife Area Re-Development
Working Day 10th October 2020
At the last working day, Saturday 10th October, a small army of people arrived to help work on the garden. We had people fence paining, moving sand and sub base MOT, digging over the wildflower meadow and planting bulbs, the teaching zone seats we made and the base was dug out for the new sheds.
An amazing amount of work was done and all with social distancing! Thank you to all the parents (and children) who came along and did SO much work. There is still a lot of work to be done but I am sure the staff, parents and children of Rockmount will continue to rise to the challenge. |
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Wildlife Area redevelopment between March and September.
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During Lockdown, with the help of a £2950 grant from DPD and funding from the RFC the development of the wildlife area has continued. We have put in a new pond, added a wooden deck, created a bird and forest zone and created a log pile. The pathways have gone in and the area is safe for the children to use.
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How do you think the Wildlife Area should be re-developed?
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As the school grounds belong to everyone at the school, we feel that it is important that everybody can have their say into how the wildlife area is developed. You can download the sheet by clicking the link below. Closing date is start of April. Please return to me via the office or directly to Jet Class.
Working day
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Update - Due to the weather the work day was cancelled. I was already there so stayed and got on with some work. Thank you to Katie Wrigley who came along in the afternoon and gave a hand. Managed to take down the fence, tidy up behind the greenhouse and clear some of the area. However, a lot still to do. The re-arranged work day is SUNDAY 15TH MARCH. Hope to see you all there!!
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On Saturday 29th February we will be holding a working day to clear the wildlife area. RFC will be providing hot drinks and biscuits to keep the workers going. It is hoped that we will be able to dismantle the old fence and clear the area ready for the new and improved area. Hope to see you all there!!
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School Council & Eco-Warriors launch -
"The Waste Free Lunch Challenge!"
25/02/2020
To view the assembly PPT please click here
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On the afternoon of 25th February 2020, 10 School Council and Eco - Warriors led a special afternoon assembly with a special guest. The assembly was to introduce the children to the challenge and to explain to the why we have launched the Lunch Challenge. To help launch such an important initiative we were supported by Palace Life Foundation and a visit from Martin Kelly a vital key first team player. He was accompanied by both Palace TV and Sky Sports. Martin answered some questions asked by the children and helped to launch the challenge. He was then give a guided tour of the Outside area where he fed and held one of the school chickens. The link for his Sky Sports interview - www.skysports.com/football/news/11706/11943211/crystal-palace-defender-martin-kelly-backs-ocean-rescue The link for the story on Palace for Life Foundation - www.palaceforlife.org/news/primary-schools/martin-kelly-joins-forces-with-local-children-for-eco-challenge/ To see the video on Palace TV - eagles.cpfc.co.uk/videos/features/martin-kelly-eco-warrior-tesla-model-3-dual-motor-performance/ (You will need to register an account) To see the Facebook page - m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158238292260762&id=168089120761 In the UK, schools throw out over 110,000 tonnes of food waste every year!! That would fill over 84 Olympic sized swimming pools! On average, each household in the UK throws out over £650 worth of food. As that food decomposes it will produce Methane, which is one of the most harmful greenhouse gases. The amount of methane that is produced every year from decomposing food is equivalent to over 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Equivalent to the pollution caused by 20% of the cars on the road today! Single use plastic is also a major concern around the globe. It takes over 500 years for just 1 plastic bottle to decompose. It is believed that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the sea than fish!! Also, over 99% of seabirds have already eaten plastic. To try to do our part in reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill, the school council and the Eco- warriors launched the ‘Waste free Lunch Challenge’. The challenge is, that for every clean plate (where all the food has been eaten) or for every lunch box that has no single use plastic in, the children will be awarded with a wooden token to place in their classes box. These tokens will then be added up over this half term and the winning class will be announced after the Easter holiday. Their prize will be – A tour of Selhurst Park and some Crystal Palace goodies! |
Planned re-development of the Pond Area.
Back in March last year the RFC held the first garden clearance day in an effort to re-develop the pond and the surrounding area. A massive amount of work was done on the day. Unfortunately, with a very limited budget work stalled for the rest of the summer whilst I applied for some grants on the schools’ behalf. Hopefully, in the next few weeks we should know if we have been successful. The plan is to make the area into a wildlife area for the children to use and enjoy. We hope to have different areas such as a bird zone, bug zone, wild planting zone, the pond and hopefully an interactive zone.
The next few stages will be –
1) Knock down the existing fence and replace
2) To plant the new hedgerow and trees we have been given through the Woodland Trust
3) To remove the bush next to the pond
4) Re-lay the pond and make safe
5) Develop the rest of the zones
Planters!!
With crucial financial support from the RFC, we have been able to have 6 planters made and planted up. The planters were made by 'Men in Sheds'. They are based in Penge and are a charity which provides socialising opportunities and training in woodwork and gardening for people who find themselves needing companionship. The take on a variety of woodworking commissions for private individuals and schools. I would like to thank them for such wonderful planters.
Once in place, the planters were painted and then planted up by Jane the gardener. Thanks Jane they look great!!
With crucial financial support from the RFC, we have been able to have 6 planters made and planted up. The planters were made by 'Men in Sheds'. They are based in Penge and are a charity which provides socialising opportunities and training in woodwork and gardening for people who find themselves needing companionship. The take on a variety of woodworking commissions for private individuals and schools. I would like to thank them for such wonderful planters.
Once in place, the planters were painted and then planted up by Jane the gardener. Thanks Jane they look great!!
Greener and Cleaner Bromley and Beyond - Schools Eco Swap Shop
On Tuesday 9th July I attended a great session at The Drawing Room, Beckenham Park Mansion from 7.30pm. The session was put on to enable schools to hear how other schools are trying to make small and sustainable differences to become more Eco aware. The evening was very informative and I came away with some fantastic ideas which I will be discussing with the Eco-Warriors at the start of next year. We also made some links with other schools who are busy trying to make a difference like us.
On Tuesday 9th July I attended a great session at The Drawing Room, Beckenham Park Mansion from 7.30pm. The session was put on to enable schools to hear how other schools are trying to make small and sustainable differences to become more Eco aware. The evening was very informative and I came away with some fantastic ideas which I will be discussing with the Eco-Warriors at the start of next year. We also made some links with other schools who are busy trying to make a difference like us.
Thursday 4th July - TSB working party + Men in Sheds
On Thursday 4th July we had some volunteers from a local TSB who came in and continued the development of the edible garden and the school playground. They worked hard all day painting the new fence, repainting the picnic benches, painting more of the tyres around the chicken coop, weeding and digging over the soil. At the same time we had Men in Sheds here who built a cover for the tap and built a sedum roof for the store out by the chickens. Thank you so much to you all for your hard work. Much appreciated!!
On Thursday 4th July we had some volunteers from a local TSB who came in and continued the development of the edible garden and the school playground. They worked hard all day painting the new fence, repainting the picnic benches, painting more of the tyres around the chicken coop, weeding and digging over the soil. At the same time we had Men in Sheds here who built a cover for the tap and built a sedum roof for the store out by the chickens. Thank you so much to you all for your hard work. Much appreciated!!
Croydon Sustainable Summit - 27th June 2019
6 Eco-Warriors were interviewed on behalf of Croydon Council about their views on how they would like to Croydon look in the future. They were also asked how the school was becoming more Eco Friendly. Following their wonderful interviews they were then asked to represent the school at the Croydon Sustainability Summit held at Boxpark. Here they listened to various speakers and were asked to make a pledge which they would try to follow. At the event Croydon declared a climate emergency but what we took away from the event was that we needed to do something but we need to do something well. Not to trying changing everything in one go but to take steps in the right direction. 'LITTLE STEPS BUT DONE WELL!' The children rounded off their experience with a £10 voucher to spend at any of the food outlets in Boxpark. The children represented the school well.
6 Eco-Warriors were interviewed on behalf of Croydon Council about their views on how they would like to Croydon look in the future. They were also asked how the school was becoming more Eco Friendly. Following their wonderful interviews they were then asked to represent the school at the Croydon Sustainability Summit held at Boxpark. Here they listened to various speakers and were asked to make a pledge which they would try to follow. At the event Croydon declared a climate emergency but what we took away from the event was that we needed to do something but we need to do something well. Not to trying changing everything in one go but to take steps in the right direction. 'LITTLE STEPS BUT DONE WELL!' The children rounded off their experience with a £10 voucher to spend at any of the food outlets in Boxpark. The children represented the school well.
The Big Spring Clean - 23/3/19
In partnership with the RFC, a spring clean of the garden was organised. After years of neglect the pond took a lot of cleaning out. Luckily, many parents and pupils gave up their day, brought a supply of tools and got stuck in. As you can see from the photos, a lot of work was completed. The day was step 1 of our long journey towards a wonderful wildlife garden for the children to enjoy. Step 2 (date TBC) will be another work day in order to clear and prepare the rest of the garden.
As you will notice from the photos, we were also busy building a fence around the Edible Garden. The plan is to wood preserve the fence and then grow flowers along it.
A massive thank you to all those who came along and helped. It couldn't have been done without you all!!
In partnership with the RFC, a spring clean of the garden was organised. After years of neglect the pond took a lot of cleaning out. Luckily, many parents and pupils gave up their day, brought a supply of tools and got stuck in. As you can see from the photos, a lot of work was completed. The day was step 1 of our long journey towards a wonderful wildlife garden for the children to enjoy. Step 2 (date TBC) will be another work day in order to clear and prepare the rest of the garden.
As you will notice from the photos, we were also busy building a fence around the Edible Garden. The plan is to wood preserve the fence and then grow flowers along it.
A massive thank you to all those who came along and helped. It couldn't have been done without you all!!