Schools page

RoWAN visits schools to talk about waste reduction and provide fun practical activities to get children thinking about waste. We offer a wide range of free-of-charge activities to schools from workshops to drama, help with in-school initiatives and out-of-school visits. Currently our activities are restricted due to funding constraints but we hope to be back soon! 

Maryburgh Primary produced a beautiful wall display,of Loch Ness and the monster, made from recycled materials in time for Christmas 2006,  and amongst other things, RoWAN has helped  children monitor waste from school lunchboxes and make efforts to reduce this – pupils and staff alike. Well done to Maryburgh Primary school for achieving Green Flag status in September 2007 after a year of hard work and dedication towards helping the environment.

RoWAN has given presentations on waste awareness to several year groups at Ullapool High and Alness Academy. Alness Academy entered a Moray Council competition on the subject of ‘waste’ with a drama written, produced and performed by a group of pupils and RoWAN funded their performances of the play to various primary schools in the area.

Well done to Alness Academy who were awarded their first green flag in June 2008 -  the first Highland High school to achieve this .....and waste issues have been high on their project agenda.........

A joint project was undertaken with Alness Academy in March and April 2008 to create an installation in the central courtyard, which would raise awareness of waste issues and increase the use of the courtyard as a social space by pupils. The project was led by arts workers employed by RoWAN. Pupils were asked to come up with design ideas and this led to a plan for a sculpture-cum-seating-area made from cement with embedded items of rubbish. 

With the leadership of three arts workers, pupils were involved in a variety of tasks from input to the design to mixing cement to personalising “bricks” made of reclaimed materials.  The project attracted a lot of comment within the school from both staff and pupils. Feedback from pupils indicates that they feel that they will use the courtyard area more now.

Great response from Ullapool Primary school with entries for Ullapool's bag design competition.

Lochcarron Primary has installed a compost bin and is collecting their own paper for recycling. RoWAN has supported a poster competition at the school on the theme of “Reduce, reuse, recycle”, and sponsored a drama workshop led by John Batty from Eden Court Outreach Team.

In Christmas  2007 Lochcarron Primary put on a performance of “Jack and the Beanstalk” with a difference, with panto dresses decorated with milk bottle tops and old sweetie papers, and scenery made with household rubbish. Junk art and waste awareness have come together throughout this term in special art sessions. Youngsters from the school have used their imaginations to turn waste into Halloween masks and sweetie baskets, fabulous Christmas decorations, such as Christmas angels made from plastic bottles and material scraps, as well as the panto costumes and scenery.

Every pupil in the school has had the opportunity to work with local artist Vicky Stonebridge, who was funded by Ross-shire Waste Action Network (ROWAN) to promote waste awareness through creative art.

The school is working hard on the Eco-schools topics which must be covered on the way to the prized Green Flag award. One of these topics is Waste Minimisation. Anne Stewart, Head Teacher at Lochcarron Primary said ‘RoWAN has supported Lochcarron Primary fantastically in our bid to attain ‘Green Flag’ status. It has provided wonderful resources, ideas and funding to help us and the school is very grateful for all the help and support it has provided’

Some of the pupils also recently visited the Howard Doris Day Centre in Lochcarron with Vicky Stonebridge, to do a recycled art workshop with the local older people who use the centre. Vicky told us ‘The children have been fantastic throughout the project. Those who came along to the Howard Doris Centre were really helpful – it’s been great fun!’

Good luck to Lochcarron Primary in 2008 in their quest for the Green Flag!

RoWAN has worked closely with Bridgend Primary & Coulhill Primary in promoting general waste awareness and paper recycling activities, including paper making. Garve & Conon Bridge Primaries have also had RoWAN visits to highlight general waste awareness. 

Useful links & resources

ecoschool website

 schools info - booklists and ideas

highland school sustainability resources

highland council resources & packs