Green Schools Award Ceremony 15th June 2018
As we begin our Green school flag ceremony I would like to extend a very warm welcome to invited guests Mairead McGuinness Vice President oof the European parliament. Noel Quinn Chairman of the BOM, Fr Denis McNelis PP, Bernadine Carey An Taisce, all our Parents who have joined us here this morning, our staff and pupils.

School band opening the Green school ceremony with Mairead McGuinness Vice President European Parliament awarding the flag
Mairéad it was this time last year that you visited our school when we hosted a student mobility from
Germany as part of another European initiative Erasmus. We are very privileged to have you with us again and on this occasion in your role as Vice President of the European Parliament. You have spoken to us before about your work in the parliament representing your constituents in Leinster at European level.
Today 28 countries in the EU agree on and work at implementing common standards on many
environmental issues and we here in SSN are proud to play our part in some small way too.
We see our Green Education program as a learning for life program inculcating in our pupils knowledge, skills and a positive attitude towards environmental sustainability in their daily lives. We believe in and appreciate the importance of close collaborative partnership with our stakeholders Europe, An Taisce, Greenschools Ireland.
Our Green school committee along with their teachers Mrs Culhane Green School Coordinator and Mrs Malone, presented a project on Biodiversity to a very high standard this year. The theme o fBiodiversity looks at increasing awareness in our school of the importance of nature, plants and animals and habitats. The committee will speak more about this shortly.
I am confident that through sustainable purposeful and collaborative efforts from our Green committee, we will contribute and serve society well. Looking ahead to the next theme of Global

green school pupils speaking about their project Biodiversity
Citzenship we wil examine the work of green schools and it has positively influenced our global
community.
To quote Henry Ford: Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, working togetheris success.
We are a fantastic team here in SSN and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff insupporting the work of the Green committee, Mrs Culhane and Mrs Malone.
Nothing happens by chance….lots of hard work to arrive at this point.
I cannot but mention that our GAA boys are off to Páirc Tailtean shortly to play in a final. Best of luckto our team, to the coaches and the Active committee.
#Super achievement win, loose or draw!
5th Green flag