Third renewal application for Eco-School USA Green Flag Award
In Progress - Hope to complete by June 2019
Step 1: Form an Eco-Action Team
The Eco-Action Team consists of 50% students, and also includes, teachers, staff, and community members | The team meets at least 8 times a year | Students take significant responsibility for conducting the Eco-Action Team meetings and the team's decision-making process | Students share responsibility for keeping minutes for each meeting and communicating information to the whole school | Student representatives actively engage other students and collect suggestions from the greater student body
Each year the Kindergarten class has agreed to become part of the Green Committee. The Yellow Room teachers along with their classes of 3-5 year-olds, have agreed to become part of this process and the CYC Green Committee. This comprises 36 students and 31 adults . Please see this page to see all members.
Here is a page with some of the monthly minutes from Green Committee e-meetings and regular meetings. Some are sent to the whole school, some are PTP minutes. Since the children are so young they are unable to keep minutes., their meetings are done in the class. They call them Earth Committee meetings.
The Eco-Action Team consists of 50% students, and also includes, teachers, staff, and community members | The team meets at least 8 times a year | Students take significant responsibility for conducting the Eco-Action Team meetings and the team's decision-making process | Students share responsibility for keeping minutes for each meeting and communicating information to the whole school | Student representatives actively engage other students and collect suggestions from the greater student body
Each year the Kindergarten class has agreed to become part of the Green Committee. The Yellow Room teachers along with their classes of 3-5 year-olds, have agreed to become part of this process and the CYC Green Committee. This comprises 36 students and 31 adults . Please see this page to see all members.
Here is a page with some of the monthly minutes from Green Committee e-meetings and regular meetings. Some are sent to the whole school, some are PTP minutes. Since the children are so young they are unable to keep minutes., their meetings are done in the class. They call them Earth Committee meetings.
Step 2: Conduct an Environmental Audit
A minimum of three formal and comprehensive audits are conducted using an Eco-Schools USA audit | Audit findings are documented | Students are actively involved in conducting the audit and engage resource specialists from the community | Results are shared with the whole school along with the wider community | Environmental audits are conducted yearly to evaluate overall progress.
Here is a copy of our audit spread sheet.
Transportation Copy of the results of a teacher survey. See below for the results of the Save Fuel Week.
Energy- See audit sheets designed for preschoolers to fill out Green Room, Blue Room, Yellow Room
Recess audit
A minimum of three formal and comprehensive audits are conducted using an Eco-Schools USA audit | Audit findings are documented | Students are actively involved in conducting the audit and engage resource specialists from the community | Results are shared with the whole school along with the wider community | Environmental audits are conducted yearly to evaluate overall progress.
Here is a copy of our audit spread sheet.
Transportation Copy of the results of a teacher survey. See below for the results of the Save Fuel Week.
Energy- See audit sheets designed for preschoolers to fill out Green Room, Blue Room, Yellow Room
Recess audit
Step 3: Create an Eco-Action Plan
Create a detailed action plan based on the results of a formal comprehensive Environmental Audit | Include specific quantifiable targets along with a timeframe for completion | Plan a range of actions which addresses at least three Eco-Schools USA Pathways | Action plan prioritizes targets | Action plan provides cost-benefit information for each action
These pathways were chosen: Energy, Consumption and Waste, Healthy Living, and Transportation
CYC Eco-Action Plan
Create a detailed action plan based on the results of a formal comprehensive Environmental Audit | Include specific quantifiable targets along with a timeframe for completion | Plan a range of actions which addresses at least three Eco-Schools USA Pathways | Action plan prioritizes targets | Action plan provides cost-benefit information for each action
These pathways were chosen: Energy, Consumption and Waste, Healthy Living, and Transportation
CYC Eco-Action Plan
Step 4: Monitor and Evaluate Progress
The Eco-Action Team identifies and monitors progress of Eco-Action plan against initial timeframe and targets | Students are engaged in monitoring and evaluation | Data is used in some curriculum work | School shows significant progress on several large scale projects addressing at least three Eco-Schools USA pathways | Progress and challenges are communicated to whole school and wider community
1- Fancy Lunch, 2-Turn off lights signs, 3-Be Active video, 4-Denton GreenFest, 5-ColorCycle, 4-Trash Free Tuesday, 5-Save Fuel Week, 6-E-Waste Drive
The Eco-Action Team identifies and monitors progress of Eco-Action plan against initial timeframe and targets | Students are engaged in monitoring and evaluation | Data is used in some curriculum work | School shows significant progress on several large scale projects addressing at least three Eco-Schools USA pathways | Progress and challenges are communicated to whole school and wider community
1- Fancy Lunch, 2-Turn off lights signs, 3-Be Active video, 4-Denton GreenFest, 5-ColorCycle, 4-Trash Free Tuesday, 5-Save Fuel Week, 6-E-Waste Drive
Step 5: Link to Existing Curriculum
Students at all grade levels have the opportunity to integrate environmental issues into the classroom, on school site or in local community | Students’ experiences are integrated into curriculum and are inquiry based | School staff are provided with professional development and training on best practices, knowledge and skills for environmental education
Please see this page on our Maryland Green School application to find out more about the CYC classrooms integrated curriculum concerning the environment. There are also descriptions of environmental education professional development.
Students at all grade levels have the opportunity to integrate environmental issues into the classroom, on school site or in local community | Students’ experiences are integrated into curriculum and are inquiry based | School staff are provided with professional development and training on best practices, knowledge and skills for environmental education
Please see this page on our Maryland Green School application to find out more about the CYC classrooms integrated curriculum concerning the environment. There are also descriptions of environmental education professional development.
Step 6: Involve the Community
The school uses a prominent, designated way such as a newsletter, bulletin board or website, to communicate Eco-Schools USA activities with staff and students along with the greater community | The whole school, along with community volunteers, engage in a number of EcoSchools USA activities | The school develops a day of action or other event that engages the greater community in learning about and helping with Eco-Schools projects | Students write about Eco-Schools USA projects for local papers and magazines | The school uses the Eco-Schools USA website and other communication tools to share its projects with other schools in US and with the global community
Please see this page on the Maryland Green School application to find out more about the CYC's involvement with the community. This web site, that is also a link on the school's website, acts as communication to the world.
The school uses a prominent, designated way such as a newsletter, bulletin board or website, to communicate Eco-Schools USA activities with staff and students along with the greater community | The whole school, along with community volunteers, engage in a number of EcoSchools USA activities | The school develops a day of action or other event that engages the greater community in learning about and helping with Eco-Schools projects | Students write about Eco-Schools USA projects for local papers and magazines | The school uses the Eco-Schools USA website and other communication tools to share its projects with other schools in US and with the global community
Please see this page on the Maryland Green School application to find out more about the CYC's involvement with the community. This web site, that is also a link on the school's website, acts as communication to the world.
This article was written by the Center for Young Children’s Kindergarten class. They call themselves the “Earth Committee”. Throughout this school year, the Kindergarten class has been instrumental in helping the CYC renew their Maryland Green School and Eco-School USA award.
This article is about how the Earth Committee takes care of the world and how you can too. This article was also submitted to the UMD Office of Sustainability for publication.
A Letter to the Big Wide World from the Earth Committee
The Earth Committee picks up trash no matter who spreads it. We recycle boxes, markers, and paper. We use the materials for art projects too. We made displays with recycled boxes to show people how to be active outside. Sometimes we use markers even when they are dried up a little and then we recycle them through Colorcycle. We compost and recycle every day. We try to walk and ride our bikes instead of riding in the car when we can.
Some things you can do to help the Earth are:
Please remember to take care of the Earth and throw your trash away in the trashcan. Ruby reminds us not to throw plastic bags in the ocean because sea turtles think they are jellyfish and will eat them and die. She also warned about using too much glitter because if it gets into the ocean, whales might think it is krill, eat it, and die. Marcus said, “Do not bring trash on Trash Free Tuesday and don’t waste food or the Waste Monster will come.” However, he wanted you to know he was just kidding about the monster. Alexis wanted to inform others not to let go of balloons because birds will eat them and Archer added that you should pick up your balloon trash.
One boy suggested that others should have a trash free week or a trash free day and not to waste. Samantha finished the discussion by telling everyone to take care of the Earth, "Because that is where we live. "
This article is about how the Earth Committee takes care of the world and how you can too. This article was also submitted to the UMD Office of Sustainability for publication.
A Letter to the Big Wide World from the Earth Committee
The Earth Committee picks up trash no matter who spreads it. We recycle boxes, markers, and paper. We use the materials for art projects too. We made displays with recycled boxes to show people how to be active outside. Sometimes we use markers even when they are dried up a little and then we recycle them through Colorcycle. We compost and recycle every day. We try to walk and ride our bikes instead of riding in the car when we can.
Some things you can do to help the Earth are:
Please remember to take care of the Earth and throw your trash away in the trashcan. Ruby reminds us not to throw plastic bags in the ocean because sea turtles think they are jellyfish and will eat them and die. She also warned about using too much glitter because if it gets into the ocean, whales might think it is krill, eat it, and die. Marcus said, “Do not bring trash on Trash Free Tuesday and don’t waste food or the Waste Monster will come.” However, he wanted you to know he was just kidding about the monster. Alexis wanted to inform others not to let go of balloons because birds will eat them and Archer added that you should pick up your balloon trash.
One boy suggested that others should have a trash free week or a trash free day and not to waste. Samantha finished the discussion by telling everyone to take care of the Earth, "Because that is where we live. "
Step 7: Create Your Eco-Code
The whole school and greater community is given the opportunity to make suggestions on developing (or refining and enhancing) the Eco-Code | The Eco-Action Team takes suggestions, refines the Eco-Code and takes to full school for adoption | The Eco-Code is prominently displayed for all to see as they enter the school | The Eco-Code is reviewed every year to ensure relevancy
Teachers suggested eco-code ideas at a sharing meeting. The children added a few and voted on their favorite. The suggested code was presented at the PTP meeting and it was unanimously accepted. The code is:
Small Terps Leave the Smallest Footprints
This was a takeoff from the University's Sustainability code, "Terps leave small footprints."
The whole school and greater community is given the opportunity to make suggestions on developing (or refining and enhancing) the Eco-Code | The Eco-Action Team takes suggestions, refines the Eco-Code and takes to full school for adoption | The Eco-Code is prominently displayed for all to see as they enter the school | The Eco-Code is reviewed every year to ensure relevancy
Teachers suggested eco-code ideas at a sharing meeting. The children added a few and voted on their favorite. The suggested code was presented at the PTP meeting and it was unanimously accepted. The code is:
Small Terps Leave the Smallest Footprints
This was a takeoff from the University's Sustainability code, "Terps leave small footprints."