More footprints, less tyre prints at Slane NS

The 246 pupils of Slane National School have a new phrase to tackle as they start up their campaign to win a fourth Green Flag for their school. The term 'BOWOW' has entered their vocabulary and it"s got nothing to do with small dogs. In fact, it stands for 'Bus or Walk on Wednesday' and it will form a very important part of their school week for some time to come as they attempt to become more environmentally conscious and to cut down on their carbon footprints as they make their way to the school. Slane National School is part of the An Taisce Green Schools Programme and has already attained three Green Flags, representing litter/waste, energy and water. A fourth Green Flag, handed out for school initiatives on travel, has been the subject of a pilot programme in Dublin and Wicklow and now Meath looks to the future by forming a programme which will see parents cutting down on motorised trips to school, and see more pupils walking to school. 'It will be good for the environment and good for the children"s health,' the school"s Green Flag co-ordinator, teacher Darina McConnon, said. The need for a more environmentally-friendly way of making the journey to and from school was illustrated in a survey carried out by the school last November. It found that 47 per cent of the children came to school by car, 25 per cent walked and 28 per cent came by bus. Today, thanks to the support of all parents and especially those who organised the walking bus, six per cent come by car, 64 per cent walked, four per cent car pooled, five per cent cycled and 21 per cent came by bus. Ms McConnon said that the success of the programme was outstabnding so far. 'Last November, there was a very high percentage of children being driven to school by car. In fact, some were coming from half a kilometre or a kilometre away and it was dangerous for everybody outside the school. Last Wednesday, with the parents in charge, we had two walking buses - one from the Drogheda Road and the other from the Navan end of the village. 'We know that some children come from the country areas and would have too far to walk, so we get them to leave the motorised transport in the church car park and then walk to the school. A total of 152 pupils are now walking to the school,' she said. Wednesday, 11th February is the next BOWOW day. The school also held a poster competition and prizes have been awarded in the various sections. The new slogan for the school"s Green Flag campaign is 'More footprints, less tyre prints!"