Objective 2

Objective 2: Student-driven Sustainability Practices

Required: Two actions from at least FOUR (4) of the following eight (8) categories; Water Conservation, Energy Conservation, Solid Waste Reduction, Habitat Restoration, Structures for Environmental Learning, Responsible Transportation, Healthy School Environment, and Citizen Science/Community Science. Reviewers expect to see maximum student involvement possible based on ability and age of students. Each activity should be documented. The documentation should include a few sentences describing the activity, grade level, number of students who participated, and date.

2.1. Water Conservation/Pollution Prevention 2.2. Energy Conservation

2.3. Solid Waste Reduction 2.4. Habitat Restoration

2.5. Structures for Environmental Learning 2.6. Responsible Transportation

2.7. Healthy School Environment 2.8 Citizen Science / Community Science

2.7 Healthy School Environment

Vegetable Garden

On going, all classrooms -The CYC has maintained a vegetable garden for many years. The children help prepare the soil, plant the seeds, pull the weeds, harvest and eat the vegetables. See more images.

CyberGreen Healthy Bodies

May 2020, all classrooms - During the pandemic, children were encouraged to exercise and ride bikes. They shared drawings and pictures to share with others how they keep healthy even during a lock down. See more

2.2 Energy Conservation

Lights Out Lunch

All classrooms mostly on Tuesdays turn off their lights during lunch. Not only does it save energy but it has a calming effect on the classroom. Kindergarten children keep track of turning off the lights.

Turn Off the Lights

November 6, 2020 - Children made turn off the lights signage as a reminder.

2.3 Solid Waste Reduction

Trash Free Tuesday

Trash Free Tuesday has been a big deal every Tuesday for the whole school. Kindergarten children wanted to make everyday Trash Free Tuesday. Lunch trash is collected and counted. Kindergarten children count and graph the results.

Using Recycled Materials

Everyday, all classrooms - Recyclables are washed and bleached and put into a basket for children to use in their art projects.

Colorcycle

All classrooms have a container to collect dried out markers. The kindergarten collects the markers once or twice a year and counts them to send to Crayola's Colorcycle program. There is a box of 266 markers waiting for Crayola to resume the program that has been suspended due to the pandemic.

2.4 Habitat Restoration

Native Garden

Children help maintain a native rain garden by keeping it watered and putting a fence around it in the spring to keep the plants from getting trampled. Children also put a fence around the garden in the spring so tender young plants do not get trampled.

Bird Feeders

Children maintain and make bird feeders. They also put water in the two bird baths. The Orange Room counted birds before the feeders and after they made and put up feeders.

Bug Hotels

Children in the Orange Room made bug hotels out of recycled materials. During the pandemic lock down, children were encouraged to make their own at home.