Waste is a Christmas ‘cracker’
BREAKFAST cereal boxes, crisp containers, bottle caps, kindling bag, plastic bottles, plastic tubs and broken brush bristles were among some of the household waste materials used in the winning entry in the county council’s Christmas Decoration competition.
The overall competition winner was a decoration entitled ‘ The Nutcracker’, by Noah Kehoe, from Screen National School, with Belle Flavin, from Ballyduff National School, the Overall Runner Up.
Belle’s decoration entitled ‘Christmas in a Bottle’ was made from plastic bottles, old paper and left over paint. Other winning decorations included ‘Rudolph calling Santa’ by Aoibhinn McDonald from Junior Infants, Scoil Naomh Abbain, Adamstown, ‘ A Giant Snowflake’ by Cian Redmond, Senior Infants, Ballyduff National School, ‘ Christmas Tree’ by Holly Midwinter, 1st Class, Kilrane National School ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree’ by Marcin Bereta, 2nd Class, St Joseph’s P.S.., Kilmuckridge; ‘3d Snowman’ by Davy Redmond, 3rd class, Ballyduff National School; ‘ Santa and Rudolph’ by Sophia Zipoli, 4th class CBS Primary School Wexford; ‘Nollaig Shona’Robin Hayes Murray, Mercy School, Wexford.
‘Waiting for Christmas’ Grace O’ Brien, 6th Class Screen National School, Wexford. Primary school group categories winners included ‘Aliens Invade Christmas’ by Caragh McDonald, Clodagh Crean, Niamh English and Maeve O’Neill, Scoil Naomh Abbain, Adamstown; ‘A Shoely Divine Christmas’ by Jonathan and Laurence Banville, St Garvan’s N.S. Careoigh; ‘ Santa’s Sleigh’ by Alicia and Kayla Roche, Danescaste National school and ‘ Pages from a Phone Directory’ by Paddy O’Leary and Caitlin Garnett,Scoil Mhuire, Barntown.
Presenting the awards at a special ceremony at County Hall last weel, Cathaoirleach Cllr Paddy Kavanagh said the school children who participated in this competition have shown us all how to reduce waste by making unusual Christmas decorations from everyday household waste materials and a bit of imagination.
‘ They are a wonderful example to us all and I congratulate them, their teachers and their parents for their efforts,’ he said.
Hundreds of children around the county participated in the Christmas Decoration Competition which was open to all primary and secondary school children.
Alan Corcoran from South East Radio said the competition, which is now in its 13th year, is great, as it aims to get children and their parents thinking about how to reuse materials that might otherwise be thrown away.’
Cliona Connolly, Environment Education Officer with Wexford County Council said the aim of the competition is to encourage children to make creative Christmas decorations with waste materials, fostering the ethos of reuse and recycling wherever possible.
‘Schools around the county were invited to make a Christmas decoration out of waste materials such as cardboard, newspapers, plastic and glass. Numerous schools throughout Wexford participated in the competition and one entry per category from each school was put forward to the County Final.
‘Among this years’ submissions were cribs, Christmas trees, snowmen, Santa and his sleigh, angels, Christmas village scenes, Rudolf, and lots of tree decorations.’
‘A group category proved to be a huge success again this year as it encourages children to work together to make amazing decorations from as young as junior infants. All 342 decorations received were displayed in the County Hall and received great praise,’ she said.