Waste advisers from the local firm

In November (from the 9th to 11th of November) advisers from the local waste incinerator firm (Stormossen) visited our school. They visited every class. They told us how to sort waste and we did it in practice, too. Here Hanna, Julia and Tessa are sorting waste (picture below). Every class has now got three waste containers: grey one for the waste you can burn, red one for recycling paper and black one for the waste you can't burn. There is a slip of paper on every container - there you can read the list if you have forgotten how to sort.

Comments of our school cleaners

Our cleaners have been very delighted of our 50/50 project. Especially sorting of rubbish. This month every class has got their own new wastebaskets and we have had lessons where pupils have learned what you can put into these wastebaskets.
"This is cool and something that should be a standard practice today!"

The day without electricity (the 5th of November)

Sanni wrote:

It was only our energy team (two classes) who took part the day without electricity.

In the morning we came normally to school. When the bell rang we went in and there was a dark corridor in front of us. Teachers had put a small pieces of paper on electric light switches so that no-one could put lights on. There were candle lanterns on teacher's desk. Each group got their own lantern.

We had a special day called "piecework contract day". Each group had a same task; we had to make an aerial photograph out of a farm (including map, list and drawings of animals and crops etc.). We were not allowed to use papers or cartons out of new packages. Instead we got to use remains of cartons and papers which were donated to our school. We noticed that it is not necessary to have new materials to accomplish fine results! And it was fun and easy! We were very satisfied because we had saved energy.

At about eleven o'clock we cycled to Villa Gerby (youth center almost next to our school). Every pupil got one juice, one mandarine, one bread roll and one and a half piece of sausage from the school kitchen. There was a camp fire waiting for us and we started to grill right away. Our teacher also taught us how to grill dough :-) After we had our lunch some of us went in to play billiard, table soccer, table tennis or cards. We didn't need any electricity to play those games and they were still fun. Some of us stayed out and played tag and the rest of us just hanged around.

When it was time to leave we gathered together and talked about the day. Many of us had liked this day without electricity very much. After the school day everyone took his/her own ride home.

The comments of school secretary about 50/50 project

"The changes I have made so far: Nowadays I switch off the toilet lights every time. Earlier I kept them on the whole day and switched them off just before I left home. The lights of coffee room are on only when we have a break and only a part of corridor lights are turned on.
Before this 50/50 project I have
- had only one lamp on in my office
- shut window blinds on the afternoon
- turned off the computer and printer at the end of the day
In other words I have already had actions which save energy but still there are things where to improve."

The Switch

Anna Lydia and Jasmin wrote:
On Friday, the 15th of October, we made a trip to a wind energy firm called The Switch. We were told about wind energy and wind turbines and what it is all about using renewable energy. We also visited the place were they make parts of wind turbines.
The world's biggest wind turbine is in Germany. It is over 100 m high. Mostly the turbines are 100 m or less. In Finland there are not many wind turbines so far, only about 2% of Finland's energy comes from wind power. We were also told how the wind energy develop.
The parts of wind turbine are very heavy. We thought that parts are small but they were huge! The Switch doesn't make the whole turbines, only certain parts. The Switch sells parts to the factories which build wind turbines.
After a while buss came and took us back to school.

(picture on the left: a slide show, picture on the right: Miika Reinikka explains us the function of a wind turbine)

Thursday, the 14th of October

Hanna wrote:
Today we have tested how much more we spend water if we wash our hands "lazy" or "quickly but properly". Test group (10 pupils) spent 22 litres (2,2 l/pupil) compared with 4,5 litres (0,5 l/pupil). The conclusion we made: You have to wash your hands properly and with soap but not using too much water (the faucet not at maximum).
Have a nice energy saving week!

Wednesday, the 13th of October

Heidi wrote:
Today everything has gone fluently. We have measured the temperatures normally. Reporter from the local newspaper came to our school and interviewed us when we were measuring the temperatures. On thursday there was an article about us and about the 50/50 project on local newspaper!!
On the afternoon when we had gymnastics I noticed that boys had left lights on in toilet and in shower room. But girls had forgotten to switch off the lights, too....
Now we have many posters on the walls which remind us about the 50/50 project and about energy saving week.

The national energy saving week, Tuesday the 12th of October

Hanna wrote:
In classroom we talked about the 50/50 project and what we could do to save the energy. When we come to school on the morning, we have to open the window blinds so that the sun can warm the class. And at the end of the day window blinds must shut off to keep the cold out. We have to put lights off every time not needed (in toilet and in shower). We can save water by taking shower quickly. We named persons in charge who take care of these actions.
Every time we wash our hands we have to remember that faucet is not at maximum and we take only one paper when drying hands. Persons in charge also double-check that there are no unnecessary lights on in classroom and they switch off every electric machine after the school day.

The effects of the project at home

My son Petteri Järvinen, age 11, participates this autumn a project in Länsimetsä school. The project is about how to save energy. Petteri has liked the project very much and he has told many things about it at home. We are a family of six persons, parents, son Petteri, daughter Juulia age thirteen and twins Ilona and samu, aged 5 so the energy consumption is quite high at our house. During this autum Petteri has taught us how to save electricity, for example he reminds us all the time to shut the lights of when we leave the house or even one room. Last week he taught the twins how to brush their teeth in the more energy saving way: the water shouldn't run the whole time while you are brushing! He has also reminded us about that we dont have to watch three tv´s at the same time or keep many computers running at our house.

Last week the class took a trip to a factory involving energy producting and it was very interesting, according to Petteri!

I think the whole project is very important and already it has changed the way of thinking and living in our family!

Sanna Järvinen, Petteris mom

The national energy saving week (from the 11th of October to the 17th of October)

Heidi, one of the energy team members, wrote (on the 11th of October):

At school we (the energy team) gathered together so we could decide which are the actions on energy saving week. We called it "We manage with less energy". Today we had little lower temperatures compared with those results we got on May. We have tasks like toilet polices, shower polices, recorders, classroom polices, room inspectors and those who measure the temperatures. Toilet polices check every toilet (water, lights) and it happens every day at the end of the school day. The shower polices have same tasks as toilet polices. The recorders have divided in two groups; the others write about the energy saving week and the others write about our visit to the wind energy firm, "The Switch", on Friday. The classroom polices double-check that the lights are off during long breaks. They also make sure that window blinds are open during the school day and shut them off after the school day. Room inspectors make sure that there are not too many lights on in library, lunch room etc. Measuring the temperatures takes place every day at 10.00 a.m.

Please, remember to save the energy!!

Classroom police (Emilia) at her work, opening the window blinds.

The kick off days (the 13th and 14th of September)

On the 13th of September our 50/50 team gathered together. At first the members of students' union got to know what Euronet 50/50 project really is. Then our two energy team classes told what we had done on May (measuring the temperatures of every classes, toilet/bathroom "police" activities, drawing the slogans, marking light switches,.) Together we considered the ways to save energy (warmth, water and lightning). The ideas were put on paper and the members of students' union got the task to bring the information to their teachers and class-mates.

Next day the whole school gathered together and they were told about the project. The motivation was raised up by clarifying the climate change with slide show. Also the youngest ones managed to listen :-) Then the pupils of energy team classes told what they had measured and showed the measuring equipments. At the end the chairman and the secretary of students' union read our proposals on how to save the energy. We had taken copies of the paper so every class got their own list so they could check the list and not forgetting actions.

(picture above) Emmi, Roni and Petteri are showing how they measured the temperature.

(picture below) Heidi has put the list on the wall so that the whole class could remember the energy saving actions.

Starting the blog

Our project started in the end of May. Our energy team classes (two classes, 4th grade students = 48 pupils) were first told about the project. The aim was to get them interested in the project. Those 48 pupils were divided into 8 groups. Groups I-VI measured the temperatures of classes, library, staff room, kitchen,etc. (37 rooms altogether, about 6 rooms for each group) and they also checked if there were lights off/on. Group VII was named as a "toilet-police-group"; they went to every toilet (24) and inspected if the lights were off/on, the faucet or toilet bowl was dropping. Group VIII checked the shower rooms (4): lights,faucets,toilet bowls,showers,drinking sinks (if thery were on or dropping).
Two pupils went to every class and marked light switches with permanent pen ("front"/"back") so that everyone would know whitch button to push (avoiding unnecessary on/off -pushing).
The energy team drew also notes with slogans like "Switch off the lights!", "Wash up quickly!",.. They were laminated and put on the right places reminding all pupils.
A couple of days after starting the project we told to whole school about the results of our measurements and checking. We told that the project will start on August "for real".