Hayes Green Team

"At Hayes, our students are building confidence as leaders by taking an increasingly active role in making a positive impact on their environment and community!"

Awards:

2024 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School
National Wildlife Federation EcoSchools U.S. Green Flag Award since 2024
Michigan Green School since 2016. Evergreen School since 2019 (highest distinction)
Detroit Zoo GreenPrize 2025 Merit Award-Wastebusters Initiative
Detroit Zoo GreenPrize 2024 Merit Award-Waste Free Wednesdays
Detroit Zoo GreenPrize 2023 Merit Award-Plastic Bottle Reduction and Recycling Campaign
Detroit Zoo GreenPrize 2020 Merit Award-Straw less Campaign

For Daily Art Room/Green Team Enrichment Tweets:

🌿 Hayes Elementary’s “Bee Kind Pollinator Garden” is Officially a Certified Monarch Waystation! 🦋

We are excited to announce that our Bee Kind Pollinator Garden has officially been certified as a Monarch Waystation through the Monarch Watch program!

This certification recognizes our school’s commitment to creating and maintaining habitat for monarch butterflies and other important pollinators. Our garden provides milkweed, nectar plants, shelter, and safe spaces that help support monarchs during their incredible migration journey.

This achievement would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our students, Green Team members, staff, families, and community supporters who have helped our garden grow over the years. A special shout out to Scouts Pack #729 for installing our garden!

The Bee Kind Pollinator Garden is more than just a beautiful space — it is an outdoor classroom where students learn about nature, sustainability, biodiversity, and the importance of protecting pollinators.

We are proud to continue growing a greener future for our school and community, one butterfly at a time! 🌎💚

Hayes is featured in the recent edition of the Livonia Today Magazine-Being 'Green' is Just the 'Hayes Way' at Local Elementary School by Stacy Jenkins, Administer for District Communications, Livonia Public Schools. You can read it here: https://communitypublishing.hflip.co/livoniaQ22026#page/18

Introducing our Green School Mascot-Jackson and the Green Machine!

Hayes Elementary was recently featured on the National Wildlife Federation blog for its leadership in student-driven sustainability through the Eco-Schools program. The article highlights how our students engage in hands-on STEAM learning, using science, art, and problem-solving to take meaningful environmental action. Led by our Green Team, this work shows how environmental stewardship is embedded into daily learning, empowering students to design projects, support biodiversity, and make a real impact in their school community.

https://blog.nwf.org/2026/04/eco-schools-kicks-off-another-year-of-student-led-sustainability-through-steam-learning/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

A letter we received from the Wayne County Michigan Green Schools Coordinator:

Your school’s Michigan Green School 2025-2026 activity verification application was received and reviewed. Congratulations on achieving an EVERGREEN designation with 30 points!

Thank you for the hard work and dedication of the teachers, staff, students and families at your school, and the activities completed are very impressive!

Congratulations Hayes Huskies. GO GREEN and STAY GREEN!

Leading the Way: Hayes Featured for Reducing Food Waste

Our Green Team was recently featured in Planet Detroit for our work reducing cafeteria food waste. Through share tables, waste audits, and composting, our students are helping reduce methane emissions and make a real environmental impact.

https://planetdetroit.org/2026/04/michigan-schools-methane-food-waste/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Did you hear the news? Our student film, The Hayes Way, was awarded Best of Show at the Michigan Student Film Festival hosted by DAFT (Digital Arts, Film & Television)!

As part of this honor, the film was shown at the Detroit Institute of Arts Film Theatre on Saturday, April 18, 2026.

We are incredibly proud of our talented film crew: Aurora W., Avery P., Bennett F., Ellie B., Ivan L., Mila P., Reign D., and Toby W.

A huge thank you to John Donabedian for leading this project and to Zac Peers for his outstanding editing work—we couldn’t have done it without them!

You can view our award winning film here: https://www.youtube.com/live/BHNlL-Ouq-4 "The Hayes Way" 40:12

You can watch our Earth Day video made by the City of Westland here! More photos to come!!

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1712925499577244

Hayes Elementary Featured in Full Circle Future’s Composting Story
We’re proud to be highlighted by Full Circle Future for our student-led composting and zero-waste lunchroom efforts in Michigan. The article showcases how schools like Hayes are leading the way in diverting food waste from landfills and turning composting into a hands-on learning opportunity for students.

https://www.fullcirclefuture.org/michigan-composting

Introducing Our 2025–26 Hayes Green Ambassadors!

We are so excited to announce this year’s team of 26 Green Ambassadors, representing all four fourth-grade classrooms. Students who were interested in applying were asked to share why they would make a good role model for others and to describe ways they help the earth at school or at home. Many of our applicants already serve in other leadership roles, such as Safety Patrol or Leader of the Pack, and all were recommended by their classroom teachers. We are proud of this group and the commitment they have already shown.

What is a Green Ambassador?
Green Ambassadors are fourth-grade leaders who help our school stay green and make a difference for our planet. They set a positive example for younger students and take on important jobs that support our school’s eco-friendly efforts.

Their duties include:

Helping with composting during lunch
Handing out and collecting Waste-Free Wednesday tickets
Making short weekly announcements with green tips or reminders
Escorting special guests during school visits
Assisting with recycling efforts and making sure materials go in the correct bins
Supporting Green Team projects such as our school garden, share cart, and energy checks
Encouraging classmates and teachers to take part in our green actions

Our Green Ambassadors show responsibility, teamwork, and a positive attitude while helping Hayes shine as a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School. We’re excited to see what they accomplish this year!

Green Ambassadors Visit the Detroit Zoo

4th Grade Green Ambassadors had the incredible opportunity to visit the Detroit Zoo in November for a free, full-day learning experience. This special field trip was made possible through a partnership with the Detroit Zoo, which generously provided a pre-visit Penguin Conservationist activity, an engaging learning lab at the Zoo, and complimentary transportation for our group.

Before the trip, students completed the pre-activity to help them understand how scientists study penguins and what it means to be a conservationist.
A conservationist is someone who works to protect animals, habitats, and natural resources so they can be preserved for the future.

During our learning lab, students explored how researchers track and study penguin behavior and the tools they use to collect data. Afterward, we enjoyed lunch and spent two hours exploring the Zoo on our own. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the students were able to see many animals active and out enjoying the warm weather.

We were especially grateful that all 16 of our parent chaperones were able to join us for free, thanks to the Zoo’s generous support.

Your 2025-26 Green Ambassadors (in alphabetical order): AJ B, Aubrey H, Bellamy T, Bennett F, Charlotte B, Declan S, Ellie B, Ethan K, Grayson K, Hudson B, Hudson I, Ivan L, Joseph O, Kacey R, Kaylie Z, Kerrigan G, Kourtney M, Krystal B, Kyleigh R, Marie M, Mason D, Mateo K, Mila P, Reign D, Riley P, Stella G

Your 2025-26 Staff Green Team (Pictured above L to R): Mrs. Broom, Ms. Lakatos, Mrs. Brothers, Mrs. Kim, Mr. Stromberg, Ms. Craig, Mrs. Salowich, Mrs. Kish

Green Ambassador Button Contest

This year, we held a contest for all Green Ambassadors to design our official 2025 button. Our shirts simply say “Hayes Green Team,” so the button is a special way for students to show their leadership and pride.

We’re excited to announce that the winning design was created by Riley P. Her artwork features the Earth with flowers growing from it — a perfect reminder that even small acts of care can help our planet bloom. Ms. Lakatos chose Riley’s design because it reflects exactly what our students do when they work together: when kids come together with a shared purpose, beautiful things happen for the Earth.

A huge thank-you to Ms. Craig, who used her button maker to create enough buttons for all of our Green Ambassadors just in time for our field trip to the Detroit Zoo. We appreciate you!

Hayes Elementary Recognized as the Model School in the Make Food Not Waste Zero Waste Blueprint

Hayes Elementary is recognized as the model school in the Make Food Not Waste Zero Waste Blueprint publication for the City of Westland.
You can view the full publication here: https://makefoodnotwaste.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-09-02-Westland.pdf
The Hayes Elementary section begins on page 117.

The Blueprint highlights Hayes Elementary as a leader in sustainability, noting our Evergreen status through Michigan Green Schools and our 2024 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School Award. Hayes is described as “a great example” of fostering a culture of environmental responsibility school-wide through student engagement and creative, hands-on initiatives.

The publication outlines how our efforts began in 2016 with a small Green Club and have grown into a comprehensive Green Team and Green Ambassador program. It also acknowledges the real challenges—managing waste, supporting composting logistics, and building leadership structures that can continue year to year—while emphasizing the strong progress the school has made.

Key highlights from the Blueprint include:

Student-led composting: Launched January 2025 with 2nd–4th graders composting daily. Green Ambassadors manage the compost cart at lunch.
Share Cart system: Reduces unopened food waste and ensures extra items reach students or local food pantries.
Waste-Free Wednesdays: Students earn raffle tickets for using reusable or compostable lunch materials.
Leadership development: Roles such as third-grade “Compost Managers” and Share Cart leaders build continuity and prepare younger students to carry the work forward.
Outdoor learning spaces: Pollinator garden, outdoor classroom construction, and additional nature-based projects.
Working within existing systems: The Blueprint notes that Hayes succeeds by using structures already in place and emphasizing shared responsibility rather than perfection.

The publication praises Hayes for demonstrating what can happen when a school engages students, staff, and families in meaningful, consistent sustainability work—showing that small, daily actions truly add up.

July 23, 2025

Ms. Lakatos presented a webinar hosted by EGLE (Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) on August 12, 2025.

Catalyst Communities: Helping Catalyze Behavior Change In K-12 School Cafeterias Through Student Led Waste Audits, Projects & Experiential Learning

Webinar Description: We learned about strategies aimed at assisting schools in effectively engaging K-12 students, our future leaders, in composting initiatives. The session was designed to help parents, teachers, school administrators, and community leaders alike, on their journey to enhance awareness on ways we all can all assist with diverting organic waste from landfills through composting. Tips were provided on how to mitigate contamination and establish an efficient, cost-effective organics management program in schools and the community. We heard from Sara Covatta with Lunch Rescue & Recycle, Katelyn Kiskstra with EcoStrategies, and Christine Lakatos with Hayes Elementary (part of Livonia Public Schools) to learn details on strategies to reduce waste and promote behavioral change within K-12 cafeterias.

May 29, 2025

Hayes is featured on behalf of Make Food Not Waste on their blog post highlighting the work being done at Hayes. You can check it out here.

May 20, 2025

ALL Students Lead the Way in Waste Reduction: Compost Pilot for the Detroit Zoo

Our students are proving that small changes can make a big impact—starting with lunch!

Yesterday, we conducted an exciting waste audit right here at school, with the help of Sara Covatta from Lunch Rescue and Recycle and Make Food Not Waste. The audit was generously funded by the Detroit Zoo, as part of a pilot composting program that we’re proud to be leading thanks to our school's strong commitment to sustainability.

During the audit, every student composted their lunch scraps, and we collected and weighed everything—including food waste, liquids, trash, recyclables, and compostable trays. The data we gathered will help us (and the Zoo!) better understand waste patterns and design smarter composting solutions.

This pilot is part of a larger effort to bring composting into more schools, and we're proud to be setting the standard. Our students not only took part in the audit—they owned it.

To top it all off, students got a special visit from Sweet Beet, Make Food Not Waste’s lovable mascot, who brought hugs, high fives, and a lot of excitement to celebrate their hard work.

We’re excited to keep leading the way in sustainability—and to show how much of a difference a lunch tray can make. See photos below.

May 28, 2025

Waste Audit Results

As part of our ongoing Green Team initiatives, Hayes Elementary began composting in 2025—and the results have been inspiring! To measure our impact, we conducted a waste audit during one day of lunch and discovered just how much we’re helping the planet:

75 pounds of compostable items like trays and leftover food were composted
7 pounds of unopened food was rescued and shared via our Share Cart
45 pounds of liquid (mostly milk) was collected
4 pounds of milk cartons and other recyclables were diverted from landfill
28 pounds of landfill waste (wrappers and Styrofoam) remained

Thanks to our 4th grade Green Ambassadors and our 3rd grade Green Ambassadors-in-training, students learned how to sort waste properly and take pride in protecting the environment. We look forward to expanding our efforts next year by using our own compost to nourish our new pollinator garden!

Hayes Celebrates Earth Day in a Big Way!

On April 22, 2025, Hayes held their first Earth Day celebration complete with words from our Superintendent Andrea Oquist, some singing and dancing with 2nd and 3rd graders, a ribbon cutting ceremony with Westland Mayor Kevin Coleman, and fun breakout sessions that included a pollinator station, an eco craft, and a composting assembly with CO Sustainability. Here are links to our celebration:

https://youtu.be/SLDPS2KS3dw

https://youtu.be/LLaMz6RHVx8?si=kkVxgOaMuX17YVky also

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox/FMfcgzQbfLTgBmBjNPHGMmNmdRPFFfdJ?projector=1

A Special Night with Your Specials Teachers!
We celebrated the arts on April 29th.
🎨 The Arrrt Show (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle theme)
🎵 Music Concerts for Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grade
🎉 Fun Activities with all your Specials teachers—Art, Music, Gym, LMC and Project Lead the Way

Check out our slideshow! Click the link below to see upcycled and 3D artwork created by every student!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSz1j54gAIciLn0ybKnp-GQSDNAeR-WzfMepSv2v_Xond47lw3-GsOlASro3znAybJSjn9-vKIS9gFp/pub?start=true&loop=true&delayms=5000

Hayes Elementary Recertified as a Michigan Green School for 2025!

We are proud to announce that Hayes Elementary has once again been recognized as a Michigan Green School, achieving Evergreen status—the highest distinction! Since first earning our certification in 2016, we have consistently met and exceeded the requirements, expanding our environmental initiatives each year.

To qualify, we take on new sustainability projects that engage our students and school community. This year, some of our key efforts included:
🌱 Establishing a school garden, where students have been starting seeds indoors during Art/Green Team Enrichment, keeping seed journals, and learning about plant life cycles through hands-on art projects. With the garden space newly completed, we are eagerly waiting for warmer weather to transplant our seedlings outside!

🥕 Introducing a Share Cart and food composting to reduce food waste in our cafeteria.

🌿 Preparing for our Garden Unveiling on April 29, where families can celebrate our efforts at the A Garden of Talents Family Fair and Art Show.

A huge thank you to the dedicated Scouts and their families for their hard work in constructing and preparing the garden space! Their efforts helped bring this project to life, and as a special touch, they signed the back of the future garden sign—leaving a lasting mark on this meaningful addition to our school.

We are grateful for the dedication of our students, staff, and families in making Hayes Elementary a leader in sustainability. Thank you for supporting our mission to keep our school—and our planet—green!

See the images below of our team’s effort in turning an idea into reality! With the garden space now prepared, we’re excited for the next step—transplanting our seedlings once the weather warms up. Stay tuned as we name and unveil this special space!

Hayes Elementary’s Green Team is featured in this month’s MEA Voice magazine!

Hayes Elementary’s Green Team was recently highlighted for its student-led sustainability efforts. Art teacher Christine Lakatos helped launch this initiative, which has gained national recognition for its leadership in environmental education.

February 26, 2025 Honored to Represent Hayes at the Women in Green Panel

This February, I had the incredible honor of being invited to speak on a panel at the Women in Green Michigan event, organized by the U.S. Green Building Council. I was one of four panelists selected to share our stories and experiences in sustainability, and to highlight the work we’re doing in our own communities.

I was proud to represent Hayes Elementary and speak about the many green initiatives we’ve worked hard to implement—like our student-led Green Team, our schoolwide recycling efforts, and our lunchroom waste reduction programs. The panel included leaders in architecture, HVAC, and sustainable construction, and I shared how environmental education can start with even the youngest students—and have a big impact.

After we spoke, we answered thoughtful questions from the audience. It was inspiring to be in a room full of passionate women who are making a difference through their work and leadership. I left the event feeling energized and proud of what we’ve built at Hayes.

Thank you to the USGBC for the opportunity to share our story!

HAYES DOES IT AGAIN!

Hayes Elementary is proud to announce that we’ve been awarded the 2025 Detroit Zoo GreenPrize Merit Award for our innovative Wastebusters Campaign! This honor recognizes our school’s outstanding efforts to reduce waste, promote sustainability, and educate our community about eco-friendly practices. Through initiatives like the Share Cart, Waste-Free Wednesdays, and our newly added composting program, our Green Team demonstrated the power of teamwork and environmental stewardship. The $900 prize will help us expand our waste reduction programs and continue making a positive impact on our planet. Thank you to everyone who supported our campaign—together, we’re making a difference!

Pictured below: Representatives from the Detroit Zoo, Hayes Green Team staff, and our 4th grade Green Ambassadors.

From Trash to Teaching Tools: Hayes Elementary Sparks a Community-Wide Upcycling Movement

Green Schools National Network Read about us here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-trash-teaching-tools-hayes-elementary-7j53e/

Our January Green Team Spirit Day raised over $200 to symbolically adopt the Snowy Owl through the World Wildlife Fund! By simply dressing in green and bringing in a small donation, our students proved that little people can make a big difference!

Five of our Green Ambassadors presented at the school board meeting on October 21, 2024 to speak about our recycling efforts, Waste Free Wednesdays, our Share Cart and our newly added food composting program. They did a fantastic job showcasing our achievements and inspiring others!

😀 WOW! Hayes Elementary is featured in the Fall 2024 issue of

DTE Energy Smarts magazine! Check us out on page 10!

https://issuu.com/hour_media/docs/dte0924_digital

Proud to serve as your Green Team Staff! Pictured left to right Top row: Mr. Davis (parent), Mr. Stromberg, Ms. Lakatos, Mrs. Kim, Mrs. Kish, Mrs. Domingo. Bottom row: Ms. Craig, Mrs. Salowich, Mrs. Brothers.

2024 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Award Ceremony in Washington D.C.-This summer, Ms. Lakatos, our art teacher and Green Team Leader, was invited to Washington D.C. to accept the Green Ribbon Schools Award for Hayes. 54 schools were invited to the Environmental Protection Agency Building for leading the way to sustainability in education. Keynote speakers from the White House reaffirmed the important work that we do at Hayes. We attended breakout sessions and received a lot of great ideas for next year's Green Team!

After the ceremony, an elegant reception was held in our honor at the National Press Building with a magnificent view of the Washington Monument and the White House. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and a Spokesperson for Senator Gary Peters attended the reception to congratulate Hayes. Ms. Lakatos' visit also included a trip to the White House thanks to the National Education Association (NEA). See the list of honorees here: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/awards.html

In addition to the Green Ribbon Schools Award Ceremony, honorees were invited to visit the White House for a tour. Below are some photos of this amazing opportunity!

From the U.S. Department of Education Website: https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/recognition-programs/green-ribbon-schools/awards--us-department-of-education-green-ribbon-schools

Hayes Elementary School: Westland, Michigan

When Hayes Elementary decided to go green, the school formed their very first Green Club with just five students. Today, the entire school, of which 46% of the student body is free and reduced price lunch eligible, is actively involved through a rotating Green Team Enrichment program. A letter-writing campaign persuaded the school district to discontinue the use of plastic straws and polystyrene in the school lunchroom, resulting in districtwide adoption of compostable lunch trays. A waste audit revealed that food was the primary waste, prompting the introduction of Waste Free Wednesdays and a share table. Students and their families help to maintain the garden including creating labels for what is growing there. The Green Team ends the school year with a walking field trip to go strawberry picking. Inspired students organized Spirit Days to fund a plastic bottle bench for the park. The school has symbolically adopted both the honeybee and the Monarch butterfly through the World Wildlife Fund; they then distributed milkweed seeds to all students and installed a new pollinator garden supported by mentors from local community organizations for funding, planning, and maintenance. The addition of a STEM class titled Project Lead the Way prepares students for real-world challenges. Hayes has made the following facilities improvements through a community bond issue: replaced traditional lighting with LED lighting equipped with motion sensors, enhanced air quality with upgraded HVAC systems in classrooms, and replaced the school roof for better insulation. Hayes students maintain a healthy lifestyle through daily outdoor activities, utilizing the walking and running path, picking up trash, and planting trees. Events such as Scouts, Girls on the Run, Walk and Roll to School Day, and Eat a Rainbow Week also promote heart-healthy living.

WGRD 97.9 Article:

https://wgrd.com/green-ribbon-status-michigan-honors-2024/

Due to the LMC renovations that began in April, our Hayes Pollinator Garden will be installed in the Spring of 2025. Thank you to all who expressed interest! Stay tuned!!

Your Green Team

3 B's Community Appreciation Day-The 3B's Community Appreciation Day was held on Saturday, June 29, 2024 at Corrado Park located at 8500 Flamingo Blvd. There was an informative talk about toads by Pam Burton and kids could become citizen scientists and get a gift for helping to count toads and frogs. This was a FREE event and included a yummy lunch and a tour of the Bird, Butterfly and Bee Native Plant Garden. On view was our new Hayes time capsule sign purchased by Joann Schwab the founder of the garden in the photos below. The time capsule will be opened in 2032.

NEW! Hayes has joined the Staples Writing Tools Recycling Program! We are accepting old mechanical pencils, pens, dried out markers, highlighters, Sharpies; any writing tool made of plastic, caps included! Please place these in the round, blue collection bin located in the art room.

Have you ever visited Corrado Park in our Hayes neighborhood? https://www.cityofwestland.com/facilities/facility/details/Samuel-J-Corrado-Park-23

If so, you have probably noticed the 3 Bs Bird, Butterfly and Bee Native Plant Garden tucked in the southeast corner of the park. Our Green Team has enjoyed a unique partnership with the garden and it's founder Joanne Schwab. We visit the park annually to learn about the garden, enjoy a picnic lunch and pick strawberries. Joanne has visited our school to talk about native plants, the importance of pollinators, and students even participated in releasing monarch butterflies with her. She invited Hayes students to design signs to identify the plants and bird, butterfly or bee that it attracts. She even purchased a time capsule for the Hayes class of 2030. After burying it by the garden, Joann had a special plaque made to identify it. As a thank you for all that Joann has done for us, the Hayes Green Team donated a green plastic bottle bench for visitors to rest while enjoying the garden. While visiting the garden, see if you can find the green plastic bottle cap bench, plant identification signs made by former Hayes students, and a plaque identifying the Class of 2030 time capsule.

Photos above: 2022-23 Fourth graders buried a time capsule at the 3B's Native Plant Garden at Corrado Park to be opened upon their graduation. Seeing a need for a bench at the garden, the Green Team raised funds to purchase one made entirely out of plastic bottle caps. Check it out the next time you visit the garden. Sit, breathe and relax!

A big THANK YOU to the Hayes PTA for funding our ANIMAL MAGIC assembly on Wednesday April 3, 2024 and to all the families that attended Wednesday evening. Everyone seemed to enjoy the performance!

For more information, reach out to Mark at https://iwantanimalmagic.com/

See images below.

What is the Green Team? Everyone at Hayes is part of the Green Team! We all work together to make our school and our community more sustainable. We collaborate to find and implement solutions to reduce waste and to increase recycling through advocacy and action.

Mission Statement:

Developing the next generation of environmental leaders through education, project-based learning, and community service.

Beliefs:

Students must be engaged at the intersection of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM), energy, environment and public health to develop sustainable solutions, employability, college and career readiness knowledge, and skills.

Sustainability: Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

At Hayes we are focused on making small changes that we can make to help look after our planet. Making these changes helps protect animals, plants and our natural resources so that our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy them.

The 5 R's

As a designated Michigan Green School, we encourage our students, staff and the entire Hayes community to take part in our initiative to help save resources and reduce pollution. Last year, we introduced more recycling into our school. Our goal this year is to expand on that. Rather than simply deferring waste from one resource to another, we practice the 5 Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose – with Recycle as the final option, not the first. As with other habits, incorporating this mindset into our everyday lives takes practice, but with a little awareness, it won’t be long before it becomes part of our daily routines. Learning about the 5 R's in school means that our students are more likely to adopt it as a habit, helping to create conscientious adults.

WHAT DOES HAYES RECYCLE?

Paper-Each classroom has a paper recycling bin. These are emptied into the Abitibi Paper Retriever container located in our west parking lot. Our school receives $$$ for the paper we collect. The community is encouraged to utilize this bin as well! Please help us spread the word that this bin is for PAPER ONLY. PLEASE, NO cardboard, magazines, or trash!

Plastic-Students are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles to school each day to cut down on plastic use. All plastics placed in the large blue bins provided by the City of Westland must meet be clean and contain the proper identification code. Look for the triangle with a number in the center (usually located on the bottom). The City of Westland Recycling accepts plastics #1, 2, 4, 5 & 7. Please do not place plastic grocery bags in these bins as they damage the equipment. These bins also accept paper, cardboard and metal.

Plastic Film Recycling- This is a great way to recycle all those plastic bags that accumulate in your household. Students and staff are encouraged to collect acceptable stretchy plastics and place in the proper bins. The Green Team will collect and deposit them at various locations in the community at the end of each month.

NEW THIS YEAR! Staples and Terracycle has partnered together and are recycling writing utensils. We will be collecting all brands of pens and pen caps, mechanical pencils, markers and marker caps, highlighters and highlighter caps, permanent markers and permanent marker caps. Start collecting now and send in with your child.

RECYCLING VIDEO: https://dptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.earthsys.recycleplant/visiting-a-recycling-plant/

We placed 2nd place in the Detroit Zoo GreenPrize for our Waste Free Wednesday Campaign. We were awarded $500 for our Green Team and we were invited to attend the awards ceremony at the Detroit Zoo April 20, 2024. Since we had a limit of 30 tickets, we offered them to interested fourth graders. They were able to attend the zoo's GreenFest, a celebration of sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Our goal for the 2023-24 school year was to reduce the amount of trash that we produce during our school day. Starting last December, we asked all of our Hayes Huskies to pack a waste free lunch and/or snack every Wednesday.

WHAT IS WASTE FREE? A waste-free lunch contains no throwaway packaging. Food and drinks are packed in reusable containers within a reusable lunch bag or box. All containers are resealable so that any leftover food and drink can be consumed (or composted) later.

Our Green Team performed monthly waste audits to determine how many students were bringing a waste free lunch and/or snack. Here are our results: We discovered that the majority of food that is being thrown away is uneaten, or unopened packages of food. One bag of garbage collected at the end of one lunch period weighed in at 10 pounds of uneaten food!

NexTrex Plastic Film School Recycling Challenge https://nextrex.com/view/educate

The nationwide competition hosted by the Trex Company, the world's largest manufacturer of composite decking and railing challenged K-12 students from across the country in 2022 to collect and recycle as much polyethylene (PE) plastic film as possible over a five-month period between America Recycles Day (November 15) and Earth Day (April 22) for the chance to win cash prizes and high-performance Trex outdoor living products for their schools.

Hayes students collected over 200 lbs. of plastic film during this time period!

SPIRIT DAY 2024: A BIG THANK YOU for your generous donations on our Dress Like a Pollinator School SPIRIT DAY! We raised enough money to symbolically adopt a Monarch butterfly from the World Wildlife Fund www.worldwildlife.org

A huge thank you to the LPS Foundation for the generous check which will be used to create a Native Plant Pollinator garden at Hayes. We will need lots of help from the Hayes community to make this dream a reality. Stay tuned!!!

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