1. The school/students reduce use of resources (explain): The office uses weekly
parent emails and monthly electronic newsletters to communicate with parents in
place of paper announcements. The teachers and office staff are encouraged to
use double-sided printing to reduce the usage of paper. Re-enrollment forms are
sent to families as email attachments, rather than paper fliers, and electronic
actions are encouraged rather than printing forms.
2. The school/students coordinate a recycling program for: Yes No
Office Paper YES
Metal/Cans YES
Newspaper/Magazines YES
Cardboard -
CDs/DVDs -
Plastic YES
Printer Cartridges -
Cell Phones YES
Fabric/Clothing YES
Glass -
Other -
6. A project (designed by school) is approved by December 1st of each year
(please explain):
6a) The Kindergarten and Art classes readily reuse magazines
and newspapers for classroom projects, including shape, letter, and number
activities.
6b) The Green Team is excited to report that the South Arbor Community donated
61 cell phones and a handful of cell phone chargers during our Cell Phone
Collection Event. We donated these items to the Cell Phones for Soldiers
project. Not only were the phones traded for calling cards to help the soldiers
call home, but they were recycled properly and kept out of landfills. The Green
Team collected phones during the morning drop-off. Then, around dismissal time,
we circulated the lanes of traffic again. This not only expedited collection
but raised awareness of an important recycling cause.
6c) The Green Team sponsored a bottle cap drive, in which plastic bottle caps
and lids were collected. They were then turned into a mural and hung in the
Primary Hall. The purpose was to raise awareness about repurposing in general
as well as give another use to bottle caps and lids that would otherwise end up
in a landfill.
6d) The school continues its important Uniform Exchange. These bins are in the
Parent Room where they are accessible to all. Trading clothing is a good way to
conserve resources, avoid packaging, and keep unnecessary items out of
landfills.
7. The school (at least one teacher) teaches a unit on alternative energy. The
8th grade studies an entire unit on energy from a variety of sources, including
sun, wind, and coal. The students build a motor, a windmill, and a solar oven,
and evaluate the effectiveness of each. They discuss hydro electric energy as
well. The 6th grade also tackles the energy discussion by evaluating energy
sources in terms of advantages and disadvantages (e.g. cost, environmental
consequences, sustainability).
9. The school implements an energy savings program and may track the results.
The school conducts a “Lights-Off Initiative,” which is a school-wide
campaign to raise awareness of wasted electricity and to encourage all lights to
be turned off when not in use. A team of students checks classrooms, offices,
and restrooms, leaving ‘good job’ notes for lights that are turned off. The
school plans to run this initiative during the 1st quarter of every year to
remind the school community the importance of responsible usage of electrical
lights.
15. The school teaches a unit on environmental issues facing Michigan. The
Advanced Placement 5th and 6th graders choose a Michigan ecosystem (dunes,
wetlands, urban setting, forest, etc.), research its characteristics and
wildlife, while evaluating human impact.
16. The school has a garden project (vegetable, rain garden, native plants,
butterfly, etc). Our school continues to maintain its Butterfly Garden. It
includes perennials such as lavender, aster, sedum, butterfly bush, butterfly
weed, and coneflower. The community enjoys seeing what butterflies come to
visit.
17. School has a wild/domestic animal habitat project (birdhouse, bat house,
etc). The schoolyard continues to welcome bluebirds into its two birdhouses
constructed and installed by the local Boy Scout troop.
19. A project (designed by school) is approved by county coordinator by December
1st of each year (please explain):
19a) Last spring, we were given permission to
return part of the schoolyard to its natural state in the form of a Native
Meadow. Planted there are several perennials and wildflowers that are native to
our state, such as aster, goldenrod, some native field grasses, and Black-Eyed
Susan. We are curious to see what kind of wildlife will take up residence here.
19b) Last spring the Brownie troop planned, presented, and planted their own
vegetable garden. They were very thorough about their planning, first getting
permission to use the space between the Primary and Secondary Halls. They had a
nice harvest of tomatoes, herbs, and giant sunflowers.
20. The school/students have adopted an endagered species and inform others. The
primary hall has adopted another animal this year, and the winner is the snowy
owl! The young-fives through second grade students voted, and it was officially
adopted through the Defender of Wildlife organization in November, 2013.
21. The school/students host an environmental or energy speaker, event, field
trip, etc. The 3rd graders took a trip to the Leslie Science Center. There,
they observed the large birds, learned about animal characteristics and
adaptations, and spent time in nature.
22. The school/students have an active club participating in environmental
activities. The school has an active Green Team that has regular afterschool
meetings, oversees several of these activities throughout the year, and oversees
the paper and plastic recycling.
23. The school demonstrates preparation for an Earth Day event. This year, the
Green Team will be facilitating a Trashion Show, that is, a fashion show in
which the garments are made out of repurposed materials. This is planned for
April 2014.
Supporting documents (if any):
http://www.jotform.us/uploads/
24. A project (designed by school) is approved by county coordinator by December
1st of each year (please explain): Better than a kiosk, the Green Team maintains
a blog about our journey toward environmental responsibility. It is updated
with our projects and includes information about how to implement greener
practices at home and in the classroom. See this post for green summer ideas:
http://southarborgoesgreen.
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