The Istituto Comprensivo di Napoli Regina Coeli, in its own small way, has followed Pope Francis’ advice on respecting and safeguarding the environment.

All together: management, teachers, staff, parents and pupils, we started with small daily actions such as teaching children of all ages how to recycle through play activities.

Opposing the use of plastic

With the help of parents we have managed to abolish the use of plastic bottles, in fact the pupils bring their own water bottles.

For birthdays and name days, the use of plastic has been banned and parents have been advised to buy paper products.

Direct contact with Creation

At the beginning of the school year, we include in our planning educational outings in the countryside and on farms to allow our children to appreciate the beauty of nature and learn to take care of it.

We are lucky to have a beautiful garden and our pupils, especially those in lower secondary school, often have lessons outside in contact with nature.

At the table, for the protection of the planet

Our school focuses a lot on nutrition education; we participate in various projects such as Fruit at School and Milk at School.

We have prepared a chart for parents with information regarding the choice of snacks, including: yogurt, cereals, fruit, bread, jams, to be consumed at recess.

For lunch, we have eliminated the use of aluminum trays, preferring to return to the old “cauldron” for the distribution of meals.

A menu has been drawn up that changes every three months and takes into account the daily requirement for the consumption of legumes and vegetables. Practical suggestions have also been offered to parents regarding the choice of a main course brought from home, encouraging the consumption of some dishes and avoiding others.

We have noticed that many children have started to eat foods they had never tasted before.

They are certainly small steps, but step by step we can go far. We are confident that we are helping to protect our planet so that one day they can live in a better world.

Naples, Regina Coeli, Sister Nasreen