ENVIRONMENTAL
Environmental Facet at Danville
At Danville we aim to raise awareness of current environmental issues and encourage each member of the Danville family to commit to sustainability, both at school and at home, for life. We also aim to create a culture of caring for our environment and making a difference by supporting local environmental organisations. Our goal is to have environmental issues integrated into every learning area of the curriculum.
We endeavour to make Danville learners realise that they are the face of a new generation who urgently need to show passionate commitment to ensuring the health of our planet as we cut consumption – buy less and use less – whilst reducing, reusing, recycling and even refusing if need be.
Our most recent accolade being awarded 2024 Sustainable School of the Year for KZN.
Fundraising for Environmental Organisations
Every year, one of the school’s fundraisers is dedicated to supporting a local environmental organisation. Organisations supported in the past include Primates Africa, SANCCOB’s Adopt a Penguin, CROW, Monkey Helpline, Thula Rhino Orphanage, Project Rhino, BREATHE and CROW.
Recycling
Recycling has been part of the school ethos since 2005 when the school started recycling paper. Recycling bins are set up around the school for cans, plastic, glass, batteries and computer cartridges. Every classroom has a paper recycling bin. A weekly inter-class paper recycling competition stimulates rivalry to earn a prize each term and a trophy at the end of the year.
The whole school was involved in making ecobricks from plastic waste in 2018 and 2022. These have been made into stools for the computer room.
Danville has benches, tables and monkey-proof bins made out of recycled plastic.
Solar
In 2024, Danville installed solar panels to harness the sun’s energy to power as much of our school as possible. This also allows us to decrease our carbon footprint and reduce our contribution to climate change and global warming.
Borehole
Our recently installed borehole is now able to supply us with water.
Vegetable Garden
The school has had a vegetable garden for many years. Vegetables are planted using permaculture techniques. Only vegetables that would not be eaten by monkeys were planted in the past as we have a troupe that visits the school on a daily basis. Danville has been awarded funding as part of the One Planet Water Explorer UN Global Search for Sustainable Schools to establish a monkey-proof enclosure around our vegetable garden in 2020, so a wider variety of vegetables can be planted.
Wessa Eco-Schools Programme
Danville is a flourishing Eco-School. Since 2004, we have worked continuously towards maintaining our Eco-Schools status through creating environmental consciousness among staff, learners and management. Danville has been involved in the programme since 2004 and has been awarded a certificate and flag every year for our sustained environmental projects. Danville was awarded the International Flag Decade Award in 2019 for 15 years of participation.
Eco-Schools Green Business Awards Competition
Danville’s green business, called Originally Made Green (OMG), makes many different products out of waste. The business was started in 2012. Learners bring waste items from home. The Environmental Society spends many hours making products which include bracelets and earrings from cereal boxes, containers from coke bottles, bookmarks from ice-cream sticks, pencil holders from jars and tea bags creatively painted and made into cards. These are sold to raise funds for different environmental organisations.
Outstanding Teacher Award
Mrs Mann (a previous Environmental Co-ordinator at Danville) was awarded an outstanding teacher award in 2018 by WESSA Eco-Schools.
Beach Clean-ups
We arrange a number of Beach Clean Ups throughout the year.
Clothes to Good Programme
This programme invites our learners and their families to clean out their cupboards of unused clothes and other textile items that are no longer being used, which is then recycled by the Clothes to Good organisation.