Autumn Term 2007
4 September 2007
Dear School Councils
Congratulations on all the hard work you and your schools did over the Summer Term. You are well on the way to becoming Fairtrade Schools.
Many of you had fantastic picnics on the 29th of June where you had lots of fun and tried a variety of different Fairtrade products. We are still awaiting news to see if we have broken the world record ! (Check out latest news on the website under Fairtrade Picnics: A Great Success.)
Those of you with tuckshops have introduced a number of healthy Fairtrade products into them including Fairtrade juices, bananas, geobars and raisins. Other schools are thinking about introducing tuck shops and have trialed Fairtrade products to see if the school should start a tuckshop.
Many of your teachers have participated in the blind Fairtrade coffee and tea tasting and have started drinking Fairtrade coffees and teas during their break times. The Fairtrade Committees of Ysgol Talybont and Llangynfelyn sneaked in and stole the non-Fairtrade coffees and teas from the school staff rooms and only returned them when the teachers agreed to switch to Fairtrade coffees, teas and sugars in their staff rooms.
There are some excellent school webpages on the website. Don’t forget to keep updating your school’s webpage!
Getting There
In order to achieve our goal of becoming the first group of schools in the United Kingdom to be awarded Fairtrade Status this school year, you need to continue with all your hard work!
- Your Fairtrade Schools Committee will need to continue to meet and plan the events and activities for this term.
- You will need to write a Fairtrade policy for your school .
- After your very successful Fairtrade event held last term you need to start thinking about your Fairtade Event for this term.
- Many schools have introduced some Fairtrade Snacks and now you’ll need to consider the possibility of buying Fairtrade sportsballs and school uniforms.
- Your teachers will be looking at how Fairtrade will be taught in lessons.
Fairtrade School Policy
- You will need to decide on and write your school’s Fairtrade Policy.
- You can get ideas by looking at the sample School Fairtrade Policy.
- Remember to make sure the policy is signed by the governors, the staff and you, the student council.
Fairtrade School Event
- Your whole school event this term could fit in with another school event such as having a display and serving Fairtrade coffee, teas and biscuits during your school Christmas Concert or any other event your school may hold in the Autumn Term.
- Don’t forget to share your ideas for your Fairtrade Schools event on your webpage and to document your event with lots of photos and a written report about it.
Getting More Fairtrade Products into your School
- Every school participating in the project introduced some Fairtrade products into their school over the summer term. Don’t forget to look into the possibility of introducing other Fairtrade products such as sportsballs, and uniforms as well as healthy snacks for tuckshops and Fairtrade coffees and teas for your teachers to drink in the staff room.
- There is information about all these Fairtrade products and where you can purchase them under the Fairtrade Product section on the website.
Fairtrade Lessons
- There are many different ways that your school can decide to introduce Fairtrade lessons in the school.
- Many of your schools already cover Fairtrade in lessons.
- Your Fairtrade teacher will plan with the other teachers in the school how your school will include some Fairtrade lessons this school year.
- You can also look at the websites under Resources for Pupils to start learning more about Fairtrade!
Evidence for Becoming a Fairtrade School
You and your Fairtrade teacher will have to show that you have done everything required by the Fairtrade Foundation in order to become a Fairtrade School. You can look under criteria with your teacher on the website and see how the Fairtrade Foundation wants you to submit all the evidence to show you have.
Keep up the good work !
Best wishes
Diane Isenberg
Fairtrade School Project Coordinator
