St. Mary’s Secondary School Baldoyle Supporting Fair Trade

St Mary’s secondary school is a green school seeking its fifth green flag
for European and global citizenship. As part of global justice the school is
well on its way to become a Fair trade school.

The Fair Trade Mark Ireland is an internationally recognized consumer label
that is awarded to products that meet internationally recognized standards
of Fairtrade, which ensures a fair price for products produced in developing
countries all over the world and tries to prevent the exploitation of
farmers in developing countries.

Fair trade is covered by all CSPE teachers in their classes from first year
up to third year in which the Fair Comment video is shown to all CSPE
classes. Fair trade tea and coffee is served in the staff room and canteen,
which also promotes Fair trade chocolate bars and snacks.

In support of Fair Trade Fortnight, 22nd February to 7th March 2010, the
Green School Committee ran a Fair Trade Awareness Fortnight by:

. Carrying out a survey on the shops around the school to see which
shops were selling  Fair trade products.
. Announcements over the intercom  promoting the switch to Fairtrade
products.
. A Fair Trade Poster Competition was held.
. A display of Fair Trade products in the student’s assembly area over
the two 
weeks. These included tea, coffee, sugar, flowers, cotton, bananas,
ice cream,  spices and chocolate.
. A Fair Trade Poster campaign all over the school.
. A Fairtrade Awareness Day on the 5th March, in which fair-trade
bananas and  stickers were given out free to students to encourage them
to buy Fairtrade  products.

Further Fairtrade awareness will occur in the school annual Green Action Day
on Friday 19th March. The day will be opened by Mr. Gay Mitchell M.E.P. at
10 a.m. The Green School Committee would like to extend a warm welcome to
any school or person interested in learning more about the An Taisce Green
School programme or Fair trade to the action day. For more information
contact Pauline Grifin in the school at 8325591.