Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
A Malta school comes top of the class when it comes to saving energy
The energy-efficient class... The students of Cospicua’s St Francis School proudly displaying their certificates. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli
Cospicua’s St Francis Primary School has made its students and teachers proud by placing first in an EU competition aimed at promoting energy efficiency, beating hundreds of other schools to the top spot.
“U4Energy” was the first pan-European school competition on energy efficiency to be organised by the European Commission.
The school’s headmistress, Sr Mary Josephine Zammit, and teacher Lydia Gauci – the brains behind the project – were flown to Brussels to be presented with the award by Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger.
The Maltese project aimed at raising awareness on energy management and climate change among the students and the community. It involved 490 students, 40 teachers, 930 parents as well as the Cospicua community.
Inside the school, old equipment such as fluorescent tubes and computer monitors have been replaced by modern, more efficient ones. New teaching lessons and materials have been organised by students themselves, and stickers have been placed throughout the school to support the adoption of an energy-efficient behaviour as part of day-to-day school life.
This includes switching off lights when not in use, checking dripping water taps and giving priority to natural over electric light.
Students aged seven and eight have also taken it on themselves to check the electricity meters to gauge their progress and ensure waste is minimised.
Simultaneously, a Saving Energy campaign targeted school staff, students and their families. Parents have also been involved in developing an energy audit, designed to measure consumption both in school and at home.
Among the initiatives organised to involve the community, the school made contacts with media and local politicians, set up a waste management centre and planted a lot of trees.
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Joseph Scerri
Nov 30th 2011, 15:42
F'ismi u f'isem il-kunsill lokali Bormla nghati proset lil sister Claudia, lis-staff, lil genituri imma l'ahhar izda mhux lanqas lil lis-studenti ta l'unur li gabu lejn Malta , lejn lis-skola li jien ex student taghha, u Lil Bormla. Proset mill-qalb. Joseph Scerri Sindku Bormla
Joseph Scerri
Nov 30th 2011, 15:28
F'ismi u f'isem il kollega shabi,Nghati proset lil sister Claudia u lis-staff kollu u lil lis-studenti ghas-success li gabu kemm ghall lis-skola kif ukoll ghall Bormla. Joseph Scerri Sindku Bormla
charles tabone
Nov 30th 2011, 05:45
Congratulations to sister Zammit and her dedicated staff, but most of all the pupils at St Francis School, Cospicua
Mario Scalpello
Nov 29th 2011, 15:55
Well done for your effort keep it up
you deserves it.
M. Scalpello
Mario Scalpello
Nov 29th 2011, 14:35
Well done for your effort u disserves it keep it up
M.Scalpello
Jimmy Magro
Nov 29th 2011, 13:45
I shall be contacting the school to involve the school in our project called ENESCOM.
Well done !!
Childen are our future and we need to invest in these best practices and make a bus tour with such examples of our excellent achievements.
We want our students to be the winners of the future - it takes a little effort but this is how we can all build solid leaders.
Jeff Kawki
Nov 29th 2011, 11:51
Me too, I'm so proud to be an ex- student of this school, class 1974. Very well done job!!! Keep it up sisters and teachers!
Jeffrey Cauchi
Stanley Colombo
Nov 29th 2011, 11:45
Prosit immens lill-amministrazzjoni tal-iskola, lit-tfal kif ukoll lill-genituri taghhom! Taghmluna kburin li ahna Maltin. Basta ssib min jghid kontra tas-south u l-iskejjel t'hemm....tajtuhom risposta!
Demis Paul Scerri
Nov 29th 2011, 09:36
I' m so proud to be an ex- student of this school and for having sent my daughter there as well. Keep it up sisters and teachers!