Bird FeedersWe learned about the different types of birds that live in Patterson Park. Then we made bird feeders out of gelatin and birdseed for the birds that live in our school community. Recycling AuditWe are continuing to work on improving the recycling habits of staff and students at PPPCS. We conducted a recycling audit for 3 weeks. We discovered that many people are trying to recycling tissues, paper towels and various food products. We also have a lot of "wish cycling" going on. We gave out "citations" for classrooms that need to improve their recycling habits and rewarded classroom teachers with buttons for their lanyards if their classes were doing a great job recycling. We made and designed the buttons ourselves. Science Center VisitOn March 4, we visited the Science Center and took part in a Wind and Waves program. We learned about renewable and nonrenewable energy and built our own wind farms. We also checked out the IMAX "Backyard Habitats."
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Action Plan We started the year by creating our action plan for the first few months of school. We talked about our environmental concerns and also surveyed our interests and skills. Many students were interested in doing some hands on projects right away to help with the recycling program at our school, so we started of the year creating recycling Hubs. Recycling HUBSWe decided that we wanted to extend our school recycling beyond the single stream recycling and add a few other recycling bins for some frequently found items in school. We wanted to begin to encourage the recycling of crayons, markers and plastic bags. Students first chose which type of recycling bin they would like to create (markers, recycling or plastic bags). They then worked with a team to design a fun recycling bin. You can see some of their designs here. The students had to identify which items they would need in order to build. It took us a few sessions to get our recycling bins built. Some students worked on building while others worked on the signage for the bins. We ended up with 3 different recycling HUBS throughout the building. They have already been getting a lot of use! Crayon UpcyclingAfter our recycling bins started to get some use, the students were very excited to start melting down the old crayons and creating new fun shaped crayons. We created lego people, hearts, sea creatures, zoo animals and much more. We have been revisiting this each time our bins get full. It has been time consuming with the unwrapping and sorting and breaking the crayons down, but it has been worth it. We have been able to donate many bags of new shaped crayons for teachers to put in their prize bins and also for the art teacher. Jewish History Museum- Scrapyard InnovatorsWe also visited the Jewish History Museum and checked out the new exhibit- Scrapyard Innovators. We learned about the history of scrap and a lot about upcycling. The students had a chance to play an interactive game where they had to buy and sell different scrap materials and make the most money for their "family." We had a great time and learned a lot about the scrap industry. Environmental AdvocacyDuring one session, we also focused on the importance of environmental advocacy. After reading and learning about the pollution traveling down from Pennsylvania into the Chesapeake Bay, we wrote postcards to the EPA urging them to hold our restoration partners accountable, especially leaders in PA. Go Green For The HolidaysWith the holidays approaching, the Green Team decided to help educate the staff and students on ways that they can "Be Green" this holiday. After some research, we created a hallway display with some tips on ways to "Be Green" this holiday. Park Clean UpWe also try to frequently get out to the park and help clean up the trash, especially around where our students have recess.
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Jodi GowansGreen Team Leader & Sustainability Ambassador for PPPCS ArchivesCategories |