|
|
Success Story: Island Park Elementary School
 |
| |
[+] Enlarge  |
|
Earth Hero at School Award
Island Park’s principal, teachers and a student accept King County award in April 2011.
|
School District: Mercer Island
School Location: Mercer Island
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: March 2008
Level One of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2009
Level Two of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2011
Waste Reduction and Recycling
- Island Park Elementary School increased its recycling rate from 30 percent to 62.5 percent.
- Fourth and fifth grade students actively help with recycling efforts throughout the school.
- School staff placed recycling stickers on classroom and lunchroom recycling containers. The stickers list what can and cannot be recycled.
- The school reduced lunchtime garbage volume by recycling plastic bottles, aluminum cans, juice boxes and milk cartons. Island Park also began lunchroom recycling of food scraps, which are collected each week by Cedar Grove Composting.
- Through this combination of efforts, Island Park reduced lunchroom garbage from six bags to one and one half bags per day.
- Students and staff at Island Park promoted waste free lunches, and use classroom worm bins to compost leftover food scraps from snacks.
Energy Conservation
- The school’s Energy Patrol was started in January 2011. It consists of one child in each second to fifth grade classroom. The Energy Patrol placed stickers on light switches throughout the school to remind students, teachers and other school community members to turn off unnecessary lights.
- The Energy Patrol also wrote energy conservation tips that are posted on the school website.
- Students in grades three to five participated in King County Green Team workshops that included energy conservation themes. The students then shared this information with their K-2 buddy classrooms.
- Incandescent light bulbs have been replaced with Energy Star light bulbs.
- Mechanical equipment is checked twice annually and properly maintained.
General
- Island Park installed rain barrels provided by the City of Mercer Island.
- The construction of the Island Learning Garden was completed in May 2009. Garden Club students named the garden, and a team of volunteers led by Matt Townsend constructed the garden, which was designed by Shelly Shay. The garden has areas for each grade level to plant and maintain. Curriculum units for the garden were developed in 2009–10 and used in 2010–11.
Award
- Island Park Elementary received a King County Earth Hero at School award in April 2011.
For more information about the school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:
Sharon Stypulkoski, teacher
sharon_stypulkoski@misd.wednet.edu
Nancy Loorem, principal
nancy_loorem@misd.wednet.edu
top of page
|
