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Success Story: Lake Wilderness Elementary School
School District: Tahoma
School Location: Maple Valley
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: March 2008
Level One of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in December 2009
Level Two of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2011
Waste Reduction and Recycling
- Lake Wilderness Elementary increased its recycling rate from 27 percent to 55 percent through an increase in classroom recycling and the addition of recycling and composting in the lunchroom.
- The school held a competition between classrooms to see who had the best decorated one-sided paper reuse box holder (decorated by using only recycled materials). The winner was announced over the school intercom system.
- Student volunteers and custodians monitor the lunchroom disposal stations. They help students recycle and compost correctly and they monitor the stacking of trays for washing. We recently included the kindergarten classes in recycling and composting to help them learn life-long recycling/composting habits.
- The parent newsletter is now sent electronically, saving approximately 20,000 pieces of paper annually.
- Teachers eliminated weekly letters to parents, saving another 35,000 pieces of paper each school year. Each teacher also has a copy limit of 15,000 copies per year to reduce paper waste. Most teachers do not use their entire allotment of paper copies.
- Recycling containers were added to the lunchroom for milk cartons, juice boxes, plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
- Recycling and compost containers are now used in both staff rooms. These are labeled and have lists of items to be placed in each receptacle.
- School staff placed recycling stickers that list what can and can’t be recycled on all recycling containers.
- Lake Wilderness students created a Power Point presentation about recycling in the lunchroom. Teachers review this presentation at the beginning of the year. In the lunchroom, staff periodically reviews item receptacle placement that may be confusing for students.
Energy Conservation
- Students placed ‘Please Turn Off Lights’ stickers on all light switches.
- Students created and hung posters exploring how turning off lights help salmon.
- To promote energy conservation, students made regular announcements over the intercom system regarding turning off lights in classrooms and other areas.
- Switching parent and school newsletter’s to electronic versions saves the electricity and greenhouse emissions it would have taken to print the newsletters.
- Several staff members regularly check closets and other rooms to make sure lights are turned off when not in use.
For more information about this school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:
Gina Castagna, building manager
E-mail: gcastagn@tahomaSD.US
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