Cherry Tree Elementary has reduced its plastic water bottle use by two-thirds with a method introduced by its cafeteria mangaer Mary Sipes last spring.  Students who want to drink water with their lunch no longer have to buy a bottle of it for 60 cents; they can drink it for free!  And they do so out of re-usable plastic cups that go through the cafeteria's dishwasher.  Students fill their cups at a five-gallon water cooler on a cart in the lunchroom.  Kudos to Mary for reducing waste and thinking outside of the box!  For details of her creative solution, click here: Reusable_Plastic_Cups_and_Water_Coolers_at_Cherry_Tree.doc

Students in Cherry Tree's green club wanted to share this sustainable solution with other schools. This fall, they applied for a grant from the Carmel Green Teen Microgrant Program.  The $610.64 check they received will pay for cups and coolers for Smoky Row Elementary and Carmel Elementary and is enough for even more schools to get on board.  Thanks, Cherry Tree, for helping Carmel schools go green!!!

We celebrate the numerous accomplishments of students, parents and staff during the 2009-10 school year, as they participated in learning about and caring for the earth through student green clubs, recycling drives, giving away trees and CFL light bulbs, planting trees, clean up projects, art contests, and more!  The power of people who come together for the common good is AMAZING!

So, we move into this year inspired and ready to do more to green our schools.  In the spring, we came up with three areas of focus for the 2010-11 school year.  They are as follows: 1. Supporting co-mingled recycling; 2. Water Bottle Education; and 3. Supporting implementation of a district-approved No Idle Program where applicable.

If you are interested in sharing your talents in these efforts, please contact the green team coordinator at your school.

Also, you are welcome at our monthly meetings. Click here for meeting schedule.  Green_Schools_Meeting_Schedule_2010.doc Let's make 2010-11 a spectacular year!

After Carmel Elementary's successful pilot program from January to June, 2010, Carmel Clay Schools is expanding co-mingled recycling to all elementary and middle schools beginning Fall, 2010.  District Energy Manager Bob Yull worked with Ray's Trash Service to make sure that each school has a co-mingled (or single-stream) dumpster, into which will go the schools' paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and containers, and (tin and aluminum) cans.  Each school's principal will determine the extent to which their school participates and who will bring the recyclables to the dumpster.  Recycling containers within classrooms and offices that were formerly used for paper only will now be used for all the above listed recyclables.  Whereas the community is highly encouraged to contribute paper to the Abitibi bins on our campuses, the co-mingled dumpsters are for school building use only.

The Green Schools Committee is deeply grateful to Mr. Yull and the CCS Administrative Green Team for their leadership in making our schools more environmentally sound!

Any schools needing more recycling bins for classrooms or cafeterias may apply for a Carmel Green Teen Grant to pay for them.  Applications are due Sept. 20, 2010.

Click here for a list of what's recyclable at the schools: http://raystrash.com/documents/Green_flyer.pdf

During Earth Week, a girl scout troop from Towne Meadow waged a campaign to "Ban the Bottle; Try the Tap."  The Carmel Green Teen Project funded the following activities:
Morning announcements-  Five girls from the girl scout troop (one per day) shared facts about bottled water with the rest of the school.

Two of the troop moms handed out paper cups of water to students who normally buy bottled water.  They did this for a different grade level each day (kindergarten and first grade on the same day).  They also went around and sat with students at their tables to talk with them about their campaign and the issues involved.  At the end of each lunch period, they used the microphone to speak to the whole group all at once, reinforcing the key ideas of the project.

Display: One of the troop moms and several of the girls built a display of the number of water bottles discarded in one day at Towne Meadow (112).

Posters: The girls hung posters with the slogan, "Ban the bottle, Try the tap!"  above all the school drinking fountains.

Garbage Patch Video: They showed an ABC news segment about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to all students in the school (right after morning announcements). 

Bulletin Board: They designed a bulletin board which depicted "5 Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water."

Troop Leader and Towne Meadow parent: Ruth Perkins

Getting students engaged in green practices is the key to a healthy future for our community.  Green Clubs in our schools are a terrific forum for students to learn how to care for the earth and to put that knowledge into practice.  See below for what student green clubs in our district are doing so far this school year!

Orchard Park Elementary: Click here for their games, activities, and more ideas! Orchard_Park_Elementary_Green_Club.doc

Carmel Elementary: Click here for their activites and to see their student-made bulletin board! Carmel_Elementary_green_club.doc

All members of the school community including parents, students, staff and board members are invited to join the Green Schools Committee.  As part of the education process, you have an opportunity to play a unique role in enacting significant positive environmental and educational change in our schools and throughout our community.

The committee strives to work with schools to adopt green practices such as reducing waste, using eco-friendly products, reducing tailpipe pollution, implementing energy saving initiatives and recycling.  The Committee supports and encourages Green Teams at all Carmel schools by providing network and education opportunities.

Going green means saving money, using energy, fuel and other resources wisely, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and reducing our impact on the environment.  All this is to ensure the future health and safety of our children.

The Carmel Clay Schools Administrative Green Team approved a menu of options from which schools may choose to celebrate Earth Week in April.  Many thanks to Margaret Stout, Ann Johnston, Leslie Webb, Margot Gibson, and Adriana Guimaraes for gathering the resources that comprise the packet.  See below for a week's worth of themed activities with something for every grade level!

Earth_Day_Packet_cover_letter.doc

Earthday_2010_packet_-_elementary.doc

Earthday_2010_packet_-_middle.doc

Earthday_2010_packet_-_High.doc

EarthWeek_Lesson_Plans.zip

Here's what some schools chose to do:

Carmel Elem.: Green Machine students read the green tip announcements and the whole school participated in the different color t-shirt days; the media center displayed books about the environment; families participated in the paper drive; the Green Machine student club planted an American elm tree.

Carmel Middle: The schools’ Green Team was a recipient of a grant from The Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program for a tree seedling distribution project.   They gave away the seedlings at the school on April 22.

Cherry Tree Elem.: Students participated in various Earth Day contests including Poster and Poetry contests.  They created animals from recycled materials and used the announcements and different color t-shirt days suggested in the Earth Day school packet.

College Wood Elem.: A display cabinet was decorated and daily announcements and t-shirt color information was given. Families participated in a paper and printer cartridge drive and the art teacher worked with students on a sculpture made of recycled materials.

Mohawk Trails Elem.: The brand new Green Team made the daily announcements.   At a recent school fundraiser ( “PowWow”) , the Green Team had a card table set up with Green trivia questions and facts on index cards  (IDEM tips).   People who attempted to answer questions were entered in a raffle to win The Lorax book or a SIGG bottle.   They had posters decorating the table that were kindly discounted by Fed Ex Kinko.

Orchard Park Elem.:  The school displayed posters and made the suggested daily announcements and different color t-shirt activities from the “approved” packet. The PTO distributed seedlings to 3rd graders.

Prairie Trace Elem.:  The Earth Day packet was sent to the student council, and they included the tips and color t-shirt information in their newsletter.  Art classes created Earth Day themed projects, and the PTO distributed seedlings.

Earth Day Art Contest: Kindergarten to 5^th grade students from 10 elementary schools created friendly and artful reminders to conserve energy and care for the planet.  The Earth Hour-Earth Day Art Contest entries were exhibited at the World’s Smallest Children’s Art Gallery on Main Street.  Mayor Brainard recognized winners.  Read more...