Every year, teachers from across Massachusetts join The Green Team to integrate environmental education and actions with their students. There many are Eco-Stars out there who do wonders in their school, and we are very grateful for the teachers and students who work to improve our environment. In the 2015-2016 school year, we were pleased to spotlight THIRTEEN inspiring schools!
Captain Samuel Brown Elementary School, Peabody, MA
Captain Samuel Brown Elementary School and their fearless teacher Diane Bugler received a Sustainability Award from Green Schools in the 2016 Green Difference Awards. This award recognizes the school for having a proven track record of at least five years’ of excellence in environmental education. Captain Samuel Brown Elementary School was one five schools nationwide to receive this award.
Mount Alvernia Academy, Chestnut Hill, MA
Mount Alvernia Academy in Chestnut Hill planted wildflowers to attract butterflies. With the help of their teacher Maria Lyons, they purchased these plants with the garden center gift certificate they received for being a Green Team Grand Prize Winner.
Greenfield Math and Science Academy, Greenfield, MA
Greenfield Math and Science Academy in Greenfield planted hardy shrubs and perennial flowers this spring. Under the leadership of their teacher Laurie Boosahda, they purchased these plants with the garden center gift certificate they received for being a Green Team Grand Prize Winner. In addition, 6th graders have been researching recycling and composting. They visited the Springfield Materials Recovery Facility and Martin’s Compost Farm. Students also created sculptures from nonrecyclable trash.
Three other schools in Greenfield started collecting food scraps in their cafeterias for composting. Greenfield High School, which also switched from disposable trays and utensils to washable ones, reduced cafeteria trash from 15 bags per day down to three! The Discovery School at Four Corners is diverting one ton of food scraps and liquids from the landfill each month. At The Math and Science Academy at Green River, 86% of kitchen and cafeteria waste is being composted. These successes are the initial results of a 3-year Sustainable Materials Recovery grant provided by MassDEP to the Town of Greenfield, with assistance from the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District, through which all the Greenfield Schools will implement composting programs.
Dryden Veterans Memorial School, Springfield, MA
Students at Dryden Veterans Memorial School in Springfield have been busy gardening! PTA leader Jessica Burt helped Second and third graders plant four fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers. Third graders also learned how to use both an outdoor compost bin and a worm bin. All students are involved in caring for the school garden and learning about where their food comes from.
Quinsigamond Elementary School, Worcester, MA
Quinsigamond Elementary School in Worcester switched to plastic milk bottles in their cafeteria. Instructor Stephanie Syre-Hager guided students to empty the extra liquid from these bottles and recycle them. The school also held its third annual Recycled Art Contest, as well as its third annual electronics and metal recycling drive.
Mount Alvernia Academy, Chestnut Hill, MA
Mount Alvernia Academy in Chestnut Hill has been learning about climate change, endangered species, and gardening. Climate change is discussed in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classes whenever it applies to a subject, such as energy, ecosystems, habitats, earth science, or weather. Fifth graders did a project where they compared renewable and non-renewable energy sources. Fourth graders researched endangered species, and the school recognized Endangered Species Day. The school also planted a butterfly garden and other flowers around the school.
Hull High School, Hull, MA
Hull High School in Hull, and lead by teacher Sheila Blair, focused on reducing their plastic water bottle footprint this year with a “Think Outside the Bottle” campaign. This included sharing bottled water stats on informative water droplet signs around the school, a bottled vs tap water taste test, and selling stainless steel water bottles with the school’s mascot on them.
Hull High School also started collecting recycling in the gym, and athletic fields, expanded its compost program, and built three raised garden beds.
Hawlemont Regional School, Shelburne Falls, MA
Students and teacher Jean Bruffee at Hawlemont Regional School in Charlemont have been working on composting and reducing waste. They even integrated this topic into math lessons by calculating the square footage of their dumpster. The students also turned their paper recycling into new paper to create bookmarks, seed packets, cards, and gift tags.
Agawam Junior High School, Agawam, MA
At Agawam Junior High School in Agawam, 7th-grade students designed and planted a garden that is now being used by other classes to teach science and social studies. Students also completed the McAuliffe Learning Center’s Earth Odyssey Program and wrote to their superintendent to advocate raising money to purchase rain forest acreage.
Whately Elementary School, Whately, MA
Whately Elementary School has been recycling and composting for years. Amy Donovan of the Franklin Solid Waste District regularly visits the school to help educate students, teachers, and administrators about the 5 R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reduce, Rot). Principal Peter Crisafulli reports that the 6th Graders collect recycling from around the school each week and load it into 15 recycling carts. The cafeteria also fills a 64-gallon tote with food scraps, which Bear Path farm picks up and composts. The school purchases finished compost from Bear Path for use in the school gardens. Fresh produce from the garden is used in the school’s excellent salad bar, closing the loop!
Marion E Zeh Elementary School, Northborough, MA
Marion E Zeh Elementary School and Parent Volunteer Selvi Oyola in Northborough recently set up a New Age Composter that they received from The Green Team, following a how-to video on our website. The photo below also shows two smaller bins they previously used but which did not have a large enough capacity.
STEM Middle Academy, Springfield, MA
Rick Haggarty, a teacher at STEM Middle Academy in Springfield, updated us on the recycling and composting at their school, telling us the students participate in a Recycling Committee that meets weekly. His special education class and others recycle school plastic milk bottles and all plastic and paper products, which are collected by student committee participants weekly. They are also waiting for compost containers to be delivered to facilitate composting food scraps.
Leroy L. Wood Elementary School, Fairhaven, MA
The Leroy Wood Elementary School Green Team Garden Club in Fairhaven has been busy! Created by Kimberly Katz and Martha Plummer, this club has had 68 students and 20 parent volunteers sign up. They have planted bulbs around the school building and installed new garden beds which they will plant in the spring. They were also able get funding through DonorsChoose.org for a new greenhouse. Throughout the winter they plan to explore plants, recycling, and composting. On December 10th, the club will plant a “PEACE” tree and decorate it with bird seed ornaments and cranberry garland.
We are looking forward to a year of fun as the Green Team Garden Club!
Kimberly Katz, Teacher at Wood Elementary
Congratulations to both Eco-Stars and keep up the great work!
