Page 7 - Autumn 2019 Echo draft v4

Improving Sustainability through College
Recycling Scheme

Year 7 students and the College Sustainability group, conducted another audit to
analyse the types of waste we produce. Year 12 student, lorna Wilson, stated, “We
completed this waste audit as a follow up from last year’s, to see if our recycling
scheme had impacted the rubbish types that end up in the general waste bins. We
also wanted to find out if the educational programmes, that aimed to raise
awareness about our waste problem, actually reduced the amount of rubbish we produced as a College, and

if more people are using the recycling bins.
After sorting through just one day’s worth of rubbish the College produces it
shows that people are more aware of what they are throwing away and this
has had an impact on the College’s waste habits.
overall it is clear that our recycling and awareness scheme has made a
positive impact on our waste content, however it is also clear that we need to
continue pushing sustainability in the College, and continue to grow our
understanding of the importance of waste reduction, an ever growing issue
that needs to be tackled.” Resilience

Tree Planting Ceremony

on Saturday, 30 November a number of College staff, students from Years 7 to 12, their parents and the Chair

of the governing Board, Michael Saltern, attended the ‘Tree and Wild Bulb’ planting ceremony. This was led by

Nick Paskin, a Science Technician, who is also an ecology expert, and Thom guy, who is a News 5
Science Teacher at the College. Nick explained the technique used to
successfully plant the 105 trees (including hawthorn and oak trees)donated by the

Woodland Trust, as part of their ‘Big Climate Fightback’ campaign, which aimed to plant one

million trees on this weekend. Along with members of the College’s Sustainability group, whose

motto is ‘Keep Ivy green’, they harnessed the support of parents and staff alike to plant the first set

of trees around the College’s main all-weather pitch.

“At Ivybridge Community College we are pleased to continue our steps to make the College a

greener place to learn and work. Nick hopes that this will be the first of an annual event and has

other events planned in the future.” said gill Taylor, Deputy Principal. Empathy

Amazing overseas opportunity for Students

During the summer holiday thirty-two students in Years 11, 12 and 13, and four members of staff, set off on a four
week visit to ecuador, on an oversees expedition organised through Camps International. The purpose of the
expedition was to enable the students to experience first-hand the wide-ranging issues facing this country and
its inhabitants, through helping local communities, whilst also learning about their
different cultures. on their visit they were also able to view some of the most
amazing wildlife and learn about essential conservation projects that are being
undertaken to protect the precious ecosystem. They also had the opportunity to
gain an open water scuba diving qualification.
Sam Buckley in Year 12 said, “ecuador was a fun, amazing and inspirational
experience. So many amazing things were accomplished on this trip, for
example, from helping the local communities by painting the schools, and
building community centres, to learning the way of life in ecuador. It was so
inspirational to see the way people live and it is so different to the UK. If I was
offered the opportunity to go again, I would, because of the change and
impact you have on people and the experiences. It has changed the way I
perceive people and it makes me appreciate the small things in life. This trip
is like no other and if I could sum it up in one word it would be ‘wow’!”
Empathy