Clifton Terrace School’s decade-long status as an enviro school has been an adult-led initiative – until now.
The school is currently a silver rated enviro school and is this year aiming for the top “green/gold” award. And it may just be a project by ten-year-old Tessa Dudley that helps them get there.
Tessa started working on a school project to lower carbon dioxide emissions, and after collected weeks of data, she came up with the idea to make “days beginning with T vehicle free”.
Tessa is encouraging parents to either walk to school with their kids, or if it’s too far, to park away from the school and walk the final distance.
“Every little bit helps,” she says.
Tessa arrives at school at 8.20am every Tuesday and Thursday to count how many cars drop off kids. The highest has been 150 in a single day. School principal Rob Wemyss says that may shock some parents into jumping on board with Tessa’s idea.
“The research that she has done is pretty scary to be fair. I think parents will pick up on it and when they see the sort of data that she is collecting they’ll say ‘wow, actually that’s pretty full on’.”
Rob says parents will be notified of Tessa’s idea in the school newsletter this week.
The project is also a big step for the school in its quest for the top enviro school award, he says.
“We’re a silver level enviro school and we’re hoping to go to green/gold this year and this is the sort of thing that we are looking for in our school where kids have taken the initiative and gone that next step. It’s always been adults leading the enviro school concept so it’s great to see the students come through with their own ideas.”
Rob is confident that the idea will fly with parents and credits Tessa’s passion.
“I think there will be a few to give it a whirl and Tess certainly has the passion to drive it. She’s been fantastic.”
