Objective 1
Objective 1: Systemic Sustainability
1.1 Curriculum and Instruction, 1.2 Professional Development, 1.3 Sustainable Schools, and 1.4 Celebration
1.1 Curriculum and Instruction: Environmental Issue Instruction
The CYC has six classroom that correspond with the colors of the rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple). The Blue Room is the only kindergarten room all others are preschool rooms ages 3 - 4. The curriculum is based on project work where children spend at least two months on a worthwhile topic. Below you will see examples of environmental education from each of the six classrooms.
Sun Salutation.mp4Red Room
Whole school year - The Red Room has a "Yoga Time" each week where the Ms. Slough helps the children become calm and do stretches for a more healthy body and mind. This also went online and Ms. Slough made videos for the children. More Ms. Slough yoga videos. Literacy, Gross Motor, and Social Emotional,
Orange Room
March 2020 - The Orange Room begin a new study on trees. Children brainstorm what they already know and draw observational drawing of trees. When Covid -19 hit the class went on-line with the study. More pictures. - Science, Literacy, Math, and Art.
Yellow Room
November 2019 - The Yellow Room learns about bees. Eric Malcolm, a dad and entomologist from the UMD, brought in a bee hive and other equipment that shows how honey is harvested. Afterward the children were able to taste some of the honey from his hives. Images - Science, Literacy, and Social Studies.
Green Room
November 2019 - As part of a baking study the Green Room children walked to the UMD Farmers Market to select locally grown apples to make into apple pie. Each child selected an apple and they were weighed as they watched. Images - Social Studies, Math, Science.
Blue Room
December 2019 - During an art study the children learned about Angela Haseltine Pozzi, a sculpture who uses trash washed up from the beach for her creations. They watched a video and were inspired to create sculptures using recycled materials from their own collections. More images - Art, Social Studies, Environmental Studies.
Purple Room
October 2020 - Weekly music lessons are held outside, weather permitting, with seasonal and environmental songs sung by Mr. M. Yoga is also presented by the teachers weekly, for body and mind. - Music, Environmental Science, Math, Physical Education, Social Emotional
Covid-19 Quarantine Instruction
During the Covid-19 school closings, the CYC continued to instruct children in environmental studies. The CyberCYC website had a special Eco-School page to offer lessons and activities in a variety of areas particularly nature oriented. Family participation was encouraged. Literacy, Math, Science, Social Studies, Social Emotional, Gross and Fine Motor.
More Images of Curriculum Instruction
All classes have music outside. - Music, Gross Motor, Science
Classrooms all help with the gardening. Science, Math, Social Emotional
Purple room children learning yoga. Literacy, Gross Motor, Social Emotional
All classrooms compost. Environmental Science, Literacy
1.2 Professional Development
All staff knew about applying to attain Green School Status - Need Documentation
October 19, 2019 As part of the Maryland State Family Child Care Association's Annual Conference, six teachers took a two hour workshop called, "Mother Nature's Classroom: A Seasonal Curriculum" by Monica French and Steve Rohde. This workshop talked about nature based learning and focused on the accessibility to nature as each child's right. Some take-aways from the talk included using stones for story telling, making a geo board with tree slices, taking lots of walks, and just getting the children out in nature as much as possible. Sara Person, Katie McAllister, Danielle Miller, Toni Smalls, Amy Laakso, and Michelle Slough all attended and shared with the rest of the staff some of the things they thought would work in our program.
certificateOutdoorClassroom-2.pdfMarch - June 2020 - Webinars taken during Covid-19 lock down.
Environmental Education PD - Danielle Miller, Vera Wiest, Mona Leigh Guha, Sara Person, Laura Damron, Bernadette Daly
Adventure Play, Water Conservation, Green Cleaning,
1.3 Sustainable Schools
1.3.1 School-Wide Environmental Behavior Changes
The staff at the CYC have committed to be environmentally friendly. They have earned the highest award in the University of Maryland's Green Office program. To do this they go out of their way to have waste free meetings and events, they compost and even take plastic bags back to the store to be recycled. Staff carpools when appropriate and offers a salad bar Monday on the first Monday of every month. Teachers use both sides of the paper and turn off electronics when they are not in the room. More actions can be viewed on the Green Office website. Our five year goals, some have been put on hold until after the pandemic.
1.3.2 Systemic Partnership
Demonstrate one partnership within the school system that supports an aspect of the Maryland Green School Program. This partnership needs to reach beyond your individual school to the “higher” or Central Office level.
Within the University of Maryland we work closely with the Office of Sustainability. We participate with their Green Office program and they offer advice and resources to us. They also installed a water bottle filling station. See email invitation to join our Green Committee.
1.4 Celebration
Required: At least one school-wide, annual environmental event with a brief description of the celebration, the number of students involved. The date and labeled documentation need to be included.
PTP Fall Picnic
October 26, 2019, Whole School - At the CYC annual fall picnic families were encouraged by the kindergarten children to bring their own dishes to eat from. Since more than 25 people did it the PTP bought a subscription to Ranger Rick Magazine for each room! This event has been going on for several years.
MVI_9530.MOV Global Handwashing Day
October 2019, Whole school- SPH Scholars came to teach children the impotance of hand washing. They also checked before and after children washed with a special soap and light that showed the germs. Children learned a song to go along with the activity. See the video of the college students teaching the handwashing song. This is the 5th time the Scholars have done this.
Earth Day
Arbor Day
April 24, 2020
April 22, 2020, Whole School
Due to Covid-19, Earth day became virtual. The kindergarten Green Committee made journal entries to answer the question, "How do you take care of the Earth? See more (Scroll down to April 20 -24 to see images)
April 24, 2020
Children teamed up with the Umd Arboretum and submitted drawings of trees that were placed as a slideshow on Facebook
Denton Green Fest
The CYC set up a booth to encourage being active outside at their Denton Quad anual GreenFest. Children made displays and there were activities for attendies. Like Maryland Day, the 2020 GreenFest had to be postponed although the CYC was ramping up to attend.
Maryland Day
2019 Maryland Day - The CYC uses this University wide day of celebration to showcase their green efforts through songs and displays. The 2020 Maryland Day was postponed due to the pandemic.