Michael Oak Waldorf School
Environmental policy mission statement

Aims

At Michael Oak we celebrate the abundance, beauty , diversity and wonder of the natural world of which we are part. As a community we strive to:

• Encourage a culture of reverence, wonder and love and for nature and the Earth
• Foster the growth of an environmentally-aware and responsible school community which will live carefully and wisely with nature, and so preserve its benefits for present and future generations
• To integrate environmental awareness and action in our curriculum and the way we structure and run our school
• To engage in environmental issues and action inside and outside the school community

Values

As a school community we believe in:

• The conservation of the natural environment and beauty around us
• Advocating the rights of all life on Earth and the caring treatment of animals
• Educating ourselves and our local community on environmental issues
• Participating in environmental action in pursuit of our aims

POLICY AREAS

Curriculum and Extra-mural Activities

Every action of caring and respect towards our natural world makes a difference. We aim to:

• Provide experiences of adventure, discovery and challenge that develop a love of and a sense of responsibility for the environment in which we live and learn.
• Create a broader environmental context for learning.
• Bring to life our environmental policy by involving teachers, parents and pupils in its action plan.

Energy

Understanding that energy use has a major impact on climate, air quality, pollution sources and other areas, we aim to:

• Reduce the use of fossil-based and nuclear fuels in all areas of consumption.
• Increase the use of renewable energy wherever possible.
• Maintain monitoring and evaluation of energy consumption.
• Raise awareness and share responsibility for reducing energy consumption.

Recycling

Recycling serves many roles such as sustainable waste management, consumption, education, environmental awareness-raising, fundraising and community-building.

The school aims to:

• Minimize the generation of all waste produced on the school grounds
• Maximize recycling at the school and its surrounding community
• Increase the awareness of and need to adapt consumption patterns

Water

In a relatively dry country like ours, with increasing population and limited dam storage capacity, the school aims to:

• Conserve water and achieve efficient usage in all indoor and outdoor areas.
• Monitor and evaluate water consumption for conservation management

School Purchases

Environmentally-preferable purchasing not only integrates values with action, it also sends a message to producers and retailers that customers are buying with the environment in mind. As part of our commitment to sustainable consumption,

the school aims to:

• Purchase products and services which have minimal impact on the environment in their extraction, processing, use and disposal
• Support businesses that can demonstrate environmental responsibility, policies or action.

Communications

Good communication is essential to participatory decision-making.
As a ‘cross-cutting’ function, it also improves overall process management.

The school aims to:

• Compile and distribute information about the policy and implementation milestones as the process unfolds.
• Provide a platform for a wide variety of views on environmental issues and action.