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Success Story: Newcastle Elementary School
School District: Issaquah
School Location: Newcastle
Began Participating in the Green Schools Program: September 2009
Level One of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in April 2010
Level Two of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2011
Waste Reduction and Recycling
- Newcastle Elementary School increased its recycling rate from 50 to 60 percent.
- In addition to a long-standing classroom and lunchroom recycling program, the school, with support from the City of Issaquah, began a food scrap recycling program in November 2009.
- Student “waste watchers” monitor the lunchroom containers every day. School staff maintains the monitoring schedule, but if a student wants to switch days or take a day off, it’s the student’s responsibility to find a replacement. This has made the schedule easy for staff to manage. Waste Watchers consist of 59 students in grades two to five.
- Educational assistants take advantage of “teachable moments” by addressing problems as they arise in the cafeteria.
- The school is collaborating with TerraCycle to recycle Capri Sun drink pouches, Lunchable containers, Ziploc baggies and Elmer’s glue sticks and bottles.
- Stickers listing what can and can’t be recycled were placed on all school recycling containers.
- Along with all schools in the Issaquah School District, Newcastle has replaced plastic-wrapped utensils with unwrapped utensils and has eliminated the use of straws.
- All classrooms have areas designated for paper recycling and Ziploc bag recycling. Each class has a student who is responsible for depositing all recyclable materials into their designated containers in the hall or lunch room.Staff meeting notes are no longer printed. Instead the school emails agendas and notes, and teachers have the option of printing on recycled paper or saving an electronic copy.
- Teachers send class newsletters electronically.
- School and PTSA newsletters are sent out electronically and only printed out for those that request them.
- Several students took their Waste Watcher expertise to Amazon in 2011 to teach their employees about reducing waste by recycling and composting. The students were featured in the Newcastle News (external).
Energy Conservation
- In spring 2011, teachers and students worked together to post signs throughout the school to remind people to turn off lights and shut down computers, monitors, and projectors when not in use.
- Staff and students make a conscious effort to turn off unused lights during school hours and to use natural light when appropriate.
- Students in the after-school program do a sweep at the end of each week to make sure all computers and monitors are shut off over the weekend.
- Staff made sure blinds and windows are shut over the weekends and that thermostats are set as low as possible.
- The technology specialist checks all computers to make sure they have the correct and updated energy saving software and settings.
- The school communicates energy conservation tips and success stories with families and students through classroom newsletters, school newsletters and during weekly announcements in the school cafeteria.
- Children share energy conservation tips with their families and try to conserve energy at home.
For more information about this school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:
Kathy Keegan, program assistant/teacher
keegank@issaquah.wednet.edu
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