Update to the PTO, March 7, 2013

The Green Team is pleased to report about environmentally-conscious projects past and present!

1) The recent Cell Phone Recycle Event (Jan 17 and 18) was fun and very productive.  We collected 154 phones, 36 power cords, and 49 other random electronic devices, thereby raising 9240 minutes of talk time for the soldiers!  (students, convert this to hours for a real-life math problem.)

2) The 3rd Graders in Ms. Stevens' class cleaned up a simulated oil spill when a team of environmental engineers visited.

3) The 2nd grade Girl Scouts/Brownie troop is planning a raised bed vegetable garden and is presenting their research to Mrs. Bondy, Mrs. Morad, and Mrs. Middaugh this week.

4) The Green Team just submitted the application to be considered for the Michigan Green School Certificate!  Ten valid checkpoints will earn our school the Green School distinction, 15 will earn Emerald, and 20 will earn Evergreen.  We submitted 16 checkpoints and are confident that at least 10 of them will be valid.  We expect to have the official distinction awarded to South Arbor later in March.  Any Green Team projects completed between now and June will be submitted for next year's award.

5) We are excited to be preparing a Paper Renewal Project for Earth Day, April 22.

bonsai at Matthaei Botanical Garden
(photo taken by Abi, 3rd grade)

 This will raise awareness of paper as a renewable resource, gather data about our school's paper usage, and make a donation to an organization that replants a corresponding number of trees in an area that has suffered deforestation.  We have writing prompts, a plan for bulletin boards, and even a short assembly presentation.  The replanting donation will be funded by the Dollar Jean Day on March 22.  If you are able, please try to attend the April 22 morning assembly for our culminating presentation.

As an FYI, our school currently uses about 16 cases of paper every 2 weeks during the school year.
No judgement, just awareness!

As always, if you have ideas or would like to help with any of the Green Team projects, please contact Mrs. Morad at 19.gmorad@heritageacademies.com or Keri Middaugh at middaughkeri@gmail.com.