Laudato'Si-Eco Council

Pope Francis has written a letter addressed to every person on the planet, asking us all to protect the earth. Will you play your part to protect our common home?

What is Laudato Si' and what does it say?

Laudato Si’ is an encyclical written by Pope Francis, it was published on the 18 June 2015. Encyclicals are open letters written by the pope.

Laudato Si’ discusses the damage being inflicted on the Earth by humans and calls on ‘every person living on this planet’ to make urgent changes to our lifestyles and how we consume energy in order to protect the planet.

It deals with many environmental issues including:

• pollution

• climate change

• water

• loss of biodiversity

• decline in the quality of human life.

In his letter Pope Francis implores us to work together to create a better world for future generations and asks us to make the necessary changes in our lives in order to take care of, respect and value our ‘common home’.

At Holy Cross we have our Ladauto Si Eco Council who work hard to raise awareness of the message of Pope Francis so that we do everything we can in our school community to protect the environment and our planet

The Eco Council at Holy Cross is a student-led initiative dedicated to promoting environmental awareness and sustainability within our school community. Our mission is to inspire positive change by encouraging eco-friendly practices, reducing waste and making a meaningful impact on our environment.

Our Goals are to-

• Promote Sustainability: Through activities and projects, we aim to educate students and staff on the importance of sustainable practices in everyday life.
• Reduce Waste: We are working hard to reduce single-use plastics, increase recycling efforts. We have a clothing bank within our car park and have battery and ink cartridge recycling collection boxes at the front of our school office.
• Conserve Energy: Our efforts focus on reducing energy consumption in the school and promoting energy-saving initiatives.
• Raise Awareness: The Eco Council organises events and campaigns to raise awareness about environmental issues both locally and globally. This academic year, events so far- Cafod toilet twinning, community rubbish cleaning, Holy Cross is part of the Harlow Wombles group. We are also a friend of the honey bee school, promoting the growth of wild flowers to encourage our wildlife.

Our Laudato Si’ Eco Council 2024/25

Year 3 Lottie, Arnus, Flynn, and Memphis

Year 4 Kiera, Rufus, Aoife, Joel, and William 

Year 5 Jack, Erin, Feodora, and Axel

Year 6 Albert, Julia, Rohan and Ellie 

What We Do:

• Eco-friendly Projects: We work on initiatives like creating green spaces. Within our school we have created a forest area with a bird look out, outdoor mud kitchens, allotments for all classes to grow fruit, herbs and vegetables, gardening clubs, a pond area to look at wildlife and an outdoor learning area for classes to work outside. Organising recycling drives, and implementing energy-saving strategies.
• Educational Campaigns: We hold assemblies and presentations to share important information on topics such as climate change, pollution, and conservation.
• Collaborate with Local Communities: The Eco Council partners with local organisations and participates in community clean-ups, with Harlow Wombles and Harlow Council and HTS.  Tree-planting events, and environmental advocacy efforts.
• Encourage Green Practices: promoting the use of reusable water bottles, we lead by example in making our school a greener place.

Children and staff are encouraged to join our efforts by participating in upcoming events, adopting eco-friendly habits, and supporting our initiatives. Together, we can make a big difference!