This week, St Monica’s celebrated Earth Day. It was a time to reflect on the world around us—God’s creation—and to consider our responsibility to care for it. Inspired by their faith, pupils put their beliefs into action by exploring practical ways to protect the planet and live more sustainably.

 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

(Genesis 2:15)

Eco Warriors Big Planting Project

The school was very kindly donated a variety of plants by a loving former family. Our Eco Warriors, supported by the School Council, worked together to plant them around the school grounds, including in our new prayer garden, helping to create a greener and more peaceful environment for all. This truly showed their faith in action as they cared for the environment around them, following God’s example of stewardship, and helped to create a beautiful, peaceful space within our prayer garden for reflection and prayer.

This work also links to School Action 3 of our Live Simply Award, as we continue to use our school grounds to live more sustainably. By caring for the school environment, pupils at St Monica’s can see that their faith inspires them to take action by helping nature to flourish. It reminds us that working together is the way to build a healthy and thriving environment for all, where both people and wildlife can grow and flourish.

Year 1 Upcycling

Year 1 spent the day appreciating the environment that was gifted to us by God. They recognised how important it is not to let materials go to waste.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

(Matthew 25:40)

They demonstrated their understanding by upcycling old materials and creating wind chimes for our new prayer garden. These will be a beautiful addition to the space and a lovely way to show how even old materials can be transformed into something new and beautiful.

Year 2 Clean Up Our Local Community

Year 2 celebrated Earth Day by exploring how our world is magnificent and recognising our responsibility to care for the environment. They discussed how littering can damage our surroundings and pose a hazard to both people and animals. In response, they took positive action by helping to clean up the local area around the school. Using litter pickers, they carefully collected rubbish and ensured it was disposed of in a safe and environmentally responsible way. This showed a true dedication to living out our core values of respecting the environment. What fantastic role models they are for caring for God’s creation.

This work will also contribute towards our Live Simply Award, supporting the children in living more simply, sustainably, and in solidarity with others. Inspired by Laudato Si’ and Pope Francis’ call to “care for our common home,” the children are reminded that their actions are rooted in faith, gratitude, and hope. Through this work, they are helping to make a positive difference not only in our local community, but also in protecting wider ecosystems and wildlife that can be harmed by litter. This is an important example of Local Action 2 in putting faith into action through caring for our environment.

 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

(Psalm 24:1)

 

Year 3 Upcycling Project

Year 3 celebrated Earth Day by learning about the impact of carbon dioxide and how it contributes to climate change. They explored the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling in order to help lower our carbon footprint and care for the environment. From this, they decided to upcycle old DVDs and CDs to create beautiful suncatchers for our prayer space. They carefully decorated them, including verses from the Book of Genesis, to show their appreciation for the world that God created. This helped the children to reflect on the beauty of creation and their responsibility to protect it for the future.

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

(Genesis 1:31)

This work links closely to our whole-school action of developing a peaceful prayer space while living more sustainably by upcycling materials that would otherwise go to waste. It supports our Live Simply Award journey by encouraging pupils to live in a way that is simple, thoughtful, and environmentally responsible. Through this project, Year 3 are helping to show how faith, care for creation, and practical action can come together to make a meaningful difference within our school community and beyond.

Year 4 Help Us Save Water

Year 4 marked Earth Day by thoughtfully exploring the importance of the water cycle. They learned that water is a precious gift from God and reflected on how their faith can be lived out in practical ways, including helping others understand the importance of not wasting water.

“Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.”
(John 4:14)

The children demonstrated their understanding by investigating simple, effective ways to conserve water in everyday life, such as turning off taps while brushing their teeth. They then took their learning into action by working with Mr Cooney to create and place signs around the school, reminding both pupils and staff to turn off taps and save water.

Through this, they recognised that even small actions can have a meaningful impact. Every drop truly counts!

 

Year 5 Upcycling Project to Help Wildlife

Year 5 celebrated Earth Day by learning about the important role insects play within our ecosystems and how vital they are to maintaining a healthy environment. They showed this understanding by using their upcycling skills to make a positive difference. With the support of a local business, they repurposed old materials from their homes and around the school to create wonderful insect homes and habitats for wildlife. These will be placed in our fantastic prayer garden so that we can appreciate the beauty and importance of all living things that God has made.

“God made the wild animals according to their kinds… and God saw that it was good.”

(Genesis 1:25)

This work also links to our Live Simply Award by helping us to create and protect wildlife within our school community. By building insect homes and placing them in our prayer garden, Year 5 are helping to provide safe spaces where creatures can live, thrive, and contribute positively to our local ecosystems. This supports our commitment to living simply, sustainably, and in harmony with nature, showing that even small actions can have a meaningful impact on the world around us.

Overall, Earth Day at St Monica’s has clearly demonstrated our pupils as young activists who are committed to making a positive difference in the world around them. Through thoughtful reflection and practical action, they have shown that they are willing to take responsibility for God’s creation and work together to care for it. Their projects across each year group highlight how faith is not only something we believe, but something we live out through our choices and actions. From planting and upcycling to conserving water and protecting wildlife, the children have truly shown their faith in action, inspired by gratitude, hope, and a deep respect for the world God has given us.