School Outreach Committee
Individual School Reports

Bowen School
Mason-Rice School
Countryside School
Angier School

Bowen School Summary

  1. Recycling
    • Paper recycling is well established in all the classrooms. Each classroom has a bin that children empty into the large hallway paper recycling containers. The custodian empties the large containers into designated dumpsters that Waste Management collects. Bowen has received feedback that it is one of three schools recycling the highest volume of paper.
    • Plastic and can recycling is carried out through the efforts of the art teacher. Large bins (trash barrels) for both plastic bottles and cans are located in a central hall. Fifth graders add plastic they collect from their classrooms. The art teacher redeems the cans and plastic and donates the money to a green organization.
    • To be done: a. Bowen is interested in putting green bins in the classrooms to encourage wider participation in the recycling of plastics. b. Two years ago, an assembly informed students about what they can recycle. New information sheets need to be put on all the blue bins to inform new people and to remind others about what can be recycled.
  2. Energy Conservation
    • Faculty discussed the need to turn off classroom lights when the classrooms are empty.
    • To be done: a. During Project Explore, children will design labels for light switch plates to remind everyone to turn off lights when not in use.
  3. Composting
    • In an assembly arranged by Barbara Herson, the Worm Sisters demonstrated the decaying process in composting and the role worms can play in vermiculture.
    • A food compost bin was set up at the edge of the playground. Its use was suspended during the construction of the modular classroom and new play yard.
    • To be done: a. Restore the compost bin. There is renewed interest in vermiculture.
  4. Green Curriculum
    • Project Explore: For a two hour block, five times a year, each grade level meets with the team of specialists. The curriculum for Project Explore is largely based on garden-related projects, such as planting vegetables in the spring, harvesting in the fall, preparing the raised beds for winter, planting fall bulbs, and picking up trash around the school-yard.
    • In addition, the children create environmental art inspired by the environmental artist, Andy Goldsworthy.
    • The fifth grade non-fiction reading curriculum focuses on global warming. Fifth-grade science includes green topics in the units on weather (climate change), ponds, and electricity (energy conservation, wind and solar energy).
    • The school focused on the importance of trees to the environment, when near-by developers adhered to the new city ordinance requiring them to replace trees they cut during construction with newly planted trees on public land.
  5. Garden
    • Project Explore (See Green Curriculum above) organizes the garden-related projects, such as planting vegetables in the spring, harvesting in the fall, preparing the raised beds for winter, planting fall bulbs, and picking up trash around the school-yard.
  6. Fundraising
    • A group of parents wrote a grant that funded the building of raised beds for a school garden. In the dedication of the new playground this past fall (2008), the school community acknowledged the stewardship of the parents who wrote the grant and helped to create the gardens.
    • The PTO has funded and supplied a shed with gardening tools that children use.
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Mason-Rice School

  1. Recent and Continuing Programs and Initiatives
    • Recycling: paper in each classroom and plastics led by 4th grade teacher.
    • In-class or in-school activities include:
      • Art projects using recycled materials.
      • 5th grade energy focus includes tour of a Cambridge power plant (Gas Steam) and discussion of energy production and conservation, the energy grid, and connections to alternative energy sources.
      • Creative Arts and Sciences Programs include in class programs which highlight environmental issues facing birds of prey, insects, trees and the oceans as well as a MWRA water conservation program.
    • Parent leadership and strong school-wide support of the Walking School Bus and Newton’s Safe Routes to School Task Force (NSRTSTF).
    • Science Week (every May): Many parents visit classrooms sharing information. Topics have included: school tours discussing environmental impacts and energy generation and consumption (boiler room); study of paper recycling efforts; and marine biology and ocean conservation.
    • M-R garden: used as a teaching tool for many grades and includes discussions of waste, pollution, conservation, weeds, IPM, etc.
    • Entrants in the Green Decade Coalition’s Essay and Art Contest: a 2nd grader winning a first prize and a 5th grader taking a second prize in the art contest.
    • Principal and parent/school liaison attendance at IPM city-wide training.
  2. Previous Programs and Initiatives
    • All-school energy and conservation presentation kicked-off a 5th grade-led fundraiser (CFL bulbs donated by NStar).
    • Climate Change program included energy audit exercise for M-R families.
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Countryside

  • Developed mission statement, goals, action plans and a Green Schools logo Created a place on our school website to showcase our mission and highlight our progress
  • Major clean-up of grounds spearheaded by parents Held a very successful kick-off of this initiative in January 2008 with a fabulous presentation by Eric Olson and Heather Tausig, In Hot Water.
  • Kicked-off our NSTAR Fundraiser as well – Raised $4381 with our “Change a Light, Change the World” fundraiser while promoting the use of CFLs
  • Expanded our recycling program to include plastics by engaging 5th graders in a community service
  • Held a successful Earth Week assembly along with a variety of events throughout the week to highlight the importance of adopting “green” practices in our lives. Activities included:
  • Decorating reusable bags with letter from student to parents about going “green”;
  • other “green” information was also included Reading and discussing books about the importance of being green
  • Creating beautiful art from recyclables
  • Walking, carpooling or riding the bus instead of driving
  • Conducted a bottle logo contest as a prelude for selling water bottles in lieu of plastic water bottles or bottles with BPA
  • Over thirty 5th graders and one 1st grader participated in the Green Decade Coalition’s Essay and Art Contest on Energy Efficiency
  • 5th graders created beautiful posters to promote being green for placement around our school
  • PTO to transition their Sally Foster Fundraiser to Greenraising to sell eco-friendly products
  • Countryside students swept the Green Decade Coalition’s Essay and Art Contest: three 5th graders won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for their Essays, three others won Honorable Mention and another one won Honorable Mention for Art. One 1st grader won 2nd place for her Essay and Honorable Mention for her Art
  • Had a positive article in the TAB featuring our NSTAR fundraiser and our Green Schools Initiative plus several Update entries about our work throughout the year, all to promote our efforts and engender enthusiasm for our goals
  • We have been awarded a Newton Schools Foundation grant of $9000 to begin a first phase curriculum revision in order to incorporate ecological principles and environmental education into science units at grades K, 1 and 5 and build activities, which will advance our long term goal of turning our school grounds into a School Yard Habitat.
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Angier Elementary

  1. Recycling
    • Paper Glass and Plastic in small green bins, piggy-backing off of the city’s curbside recycling
  2. Energy Conservation
  3. Composting
    • Compost garden materials
  4. Green Curriculum
  5. Garden
    • Large vegetable and flower garden in front of school
    • Cared for by parent committee
    • Classrooms use the garden in their curriculum
  6. Fundraising
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