The Green Team asked for submissions that represented our accomplishments for the 2023-2024 year, with the theme, "Trees, Gardens, Magic!" Congratulations to 5th grader Sydney Oomkes for submitting the winning design. This beautifully drawn magical tree, and inspiring message, helps us CELEBRATE our Climate Champions grant, and INSPIRES us to do all we can to care for our new tree friends and gardens. Thank you, Sydney!

This week, the Westerly Creek Elementary School Green Team ended the school year as it has done for the last couple of years—with a “Float into Summer” party. All students were welcome to raise an ice cream float to celebrate the club’s accomplishments, and cheer on the 5th graders as they continue onto middle school. For this year’s crew of five 5th grade leaders, it’s been a remarkable year. Asked recently what she is most proud of after being a part of the Green Team for 3 years, Lily Streker stated, “how much we did this year, even though we didn’t have as many kids. I mean, we planted eleven trees!” Fellow 3-year Green Team member, Henry Soukup, concurred: “I’m most proud of earning the Climate Champion grant.”

Led by Parent Coordinator (and Henry’s mom), Christina Foust, as well as Staff Coordinators Mr. Brian Tarver (Assistant Principal) and Mr. Kendall Binder (5th Grade Literacy teacher), the Green Team embarked on a year-long process to get to know what the school wanted. “We’ve had brainstorming sessions every 3-4 months in club meetings,” Foust said. “What do you want to see more of? What do you want to see less of, or see changed? We hear more gardens, more trees, a lot.” Green Team leaders also suggested more bike racks to encourage healthy transportation. With 3 great ideas, the club put it to a vote. At the school’s summer reading program celebration last September, 190 students stopped by the club’s book swap to cast their ballot. Trees won easily, with 48% of the vote (compared to a new garden, 32%, and bike/scooter racks, 19%, with two write-in votes for solar panels and rainwater collection barrels).

The Green Team set to work, with Foust setting up club meetings to build the Climate Champions Grant application with as much student involvement as possible. “We talked about the application requirements through a metaphor: How do we feed three birds with one scone? Bird One is the WCE school—like what the students, teachers, and families want. The second bird is the District with its climate priorities. And the third bird is neighbors who enjoy the school grounds on weekends.” 

With a clear mandate from the WCE school to obtain funding for trees, the Green Team learned about how trees help meet DPS priorities to address climate change. Foust reinforced science lessons on the greenhouse effect and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the importance of trees and plants that “breathe in” carbon dioxide, the most prevalent greenhouse gas. She asked the students to use a cell phone camera to do walk-abouts on school property, recording what changes they hoped to see at WCE as a result of the grant. Sydney Oomkes, 5th grader and 3-year veteran of the Green Team, underscored the change students hoped for with the grant funding: “More shade!” The Green Team also interviewed other students, who reinforced the same message. Foust shared research about how public land (like the green space at WCE) is important, because people can enjoy it for free, as long as they treat it well. So neighbors might also be able to enjoy shade, well into the future. Three birds, one scone.

With their application ready, the 5th graders presented (with Google slides they created) to Mr. Tarver and Mr. Binder. With the approval of Principal Jill Corcoran, the Green Team submitted its application. In January, the club learned it was one of 14 schools in DPS that was funded as part of the inaugural round of grants. On Sunday, April 29, ten families joined lead volunteer, Mr. Greg Gamet, in planting the trees on the grounds. “It was tiring, but fun!,” stated Streker. Oomkes concurred: “It felt good to do it by ourselves.” Soukup added, “yeah, it felt like an accomplishment.”

Westerly Creek Elementary is now home to eleven new cottonwoods, a native tree to the area and the fastest growing tree in North America. Eiad Abbas and JJ Caro, the two other 5th grade Green Team leaders, helped create the watering plan, which involved a rotation of “east side” and “west side” trees. “We’re so grateful to school staff—Ms. Pam [Hicks-Washington] and Mr. Scott [Dester]—for getting us set up with our watering supplies,” Foust stated. “The trees leafed out about 10 days ago, so we measured them and are now watering them twice a week. Hand watering is a bit time-consuming, but it fosters a closer connection between the kids and the trees,” Foust remarked. “And, time spent outside is always worth it!”

When asked what they will remember most ten years from now about the work done toward the Climate Champions grant, Oomkes stated, “watering with my friends.” The 5th grade leaders have been joined by other 5th grade volunteers, and the Green Team will enlist families to help water through the summer and fall. Streker looks forward to returning often to see how big the trees get. Soukup stated that he hopes to carry forth what he’s learned from the Green Team into middle school: “I want to protect the environment, and helping plant gardens and trees is a good way to do that.” Foust summed up what the cottonwoods mean as she prepares to depart her role as WCE Green Team coordinator: “We’re so grateful to DPS-Sustainability for this grant, to Principal Corcoran for her continued support of the Green Team, and all the families at WCE who have helped us along the way."

"With time and care, these trees will be a living tribute to this very special group of 5th graders.”