Events

It was a picture-perfect day in our Outdoor Environmental Learning Center and Garden! Green Team students rolled up their sleeves and teamed up with the amazing folks from Jersey-Friendly Yards for a hands-on planting adventure. We were thrilled to welcome Nina Sassano and Caroline McFarland of Barnegat Bay Partnership, along with their dedicated techs, and our longtime friend Becky Laboy from the Ocean County Soil Conservation District. Together, we planted a vibrant variety of native species that will support pollinators, conserve water, and bring beauty to our school for years to come. Huge thanks to our incredible partners for helping us grow something truly special!

We are so grateful to the local Girl Scout troop for their incredible contributions to our school courtyard! The girls repainted decorative mushrooms, planted native species like coneflowers, creeping thyme, and rosemary, and helped refresh our Little Library.

On May 21st, students from last year’s Green Team hosted an Environmental Showcase for our first and second grade classes. Over the summer of 2024, these student leaders created informational trifolds on a variety of environmental topics, including composting, pollination, the butterfly life cycle, soil, insect hotels, and more. Their presentations were connected to the features of our nearly completed Outdoor Environmental Learning Center and Garden, which will officially open this fall. Through this student-led event, younger students were introduced to the wonders of nature and sustainability, and the power of peer learning was on full display.

During our May meeting, Mrs. Konopack taught the Green Team about aquaponics. Students helped harvest vegetables from the aquaponics system and assisted with cleaning and maintaining the setup.

During our February meeting, Amelia Minervini from Ocean County 4-H joined us to teach the Green Team about soil and pollinators. Students then had a blast creating worm paintings using natural ingredients. No worms were harmed in the process! 🪱💚

A local Girl Scout troop visited to teach the Green Team all about bats in New Jersey. After their presentation, students created their own bat books and played an echolocation game to better understand how bats navigate in the dark. As part of their project, the troop is building a bat house that will be installed in our Outdoor Environmental Learning Center and Garden.

During our December meeting, special guests Becky Laboy from the Ocean County Soil Conservation District and Bailey Sanders from the Barnegat Bay Partnership joined us. Bailey presented an engaging slideshow about pollinators, and students conducted soil tests, measuring pH and NPK levels, using samples from our Outdoor Environmental Learning Center and Garden.

Green Team students learned about soil with special guests Becky Laboy from the Ocean County Soil Conservation District and Bailey Sanders from the Barnegat Bay Partnership. Using soil sieves, students explored different soil textures and observed how soil separates into particles of various sizes.

The owners of One Stop Eco Shop in Toms River spoke to students about their new refill station store.

Amelia Valente, Senior Program Coordinator of Ocean County's 4-H, spoke to students about pollinators and then students got to plant purple coneflower seeds to take home.

The 4-H Blender Bike is a fun and interactive teaching tool used to communicate healthy living messages such as the importance of incorporating physical activity and a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables into daily life.

Elms Elementary School celebrated becoming a Green Ribbon School with a school-wide event on April 11, 2022. 

Pictured left to right: Shawn Levinson, Sheryl Konopack, Shaina Brenner, Jess Fioretti, Mike Burgos