with various activities celebrating Environment Week

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Children from Putney High School's Junior Department have been putting their best foot forward this week as they joined schoolchildren all over the UK in walking to school for National 'Walk to School' Week.

The activity formed part of the school's 'Environment Week which has seen a flurry of exciting projects take shape - all aimed at teaching the girls about the importance of caring for the environment and increasing their awareness of ecological responsibility.

The school's elected Environment Council (EC), who conferred with fellow pupils, identified issues which most interested the girls so that the organiser, Mrs Parra, could plan a variety of projects, trips, workshops and lessons.



The EC allocated 'carbon points' to the girls when they carried out simple energy saving tasks, such as having a short shower rather than a bath, walking to schools and turning electrical appliances off standby. At the end of the week the team with the most points were presented with a recycled Carbon Cup by the school Environmental Council (pictured right).

Points were also awarded to pupils who brought in packed lunches which contained no packaging or waste products - the leftovers of which could be used to feed 1,800 worms in the new school wormery which converts waste into compost for the school gardens.

On 'I'm a pupil get me out of the classroom day' children enjoyed visits to the Horniman Museum, Wetland Centre and the Clapham Tree House - an energy efficient eco-house.

Zoe Parra, schoolteacher and Environment Week organiser said,
"At the rate we are using up the world's resources we will need three planet Earths just to survive. This week has proved to be an exciting way for the children here to understand and learn about how to care for the future of the planet and, in turn, their own future. They have been really enthusiastic, even motivating their own households to think about environment issues"

Isobel Standing in Year 4 said: "We can all make a small contribution by making little changes to the way we do things. If we can use energy efficient light bulbs and recycle and conserve water, we are making a good start towards saving the planet."