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Success Story: The Overlake School
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An Overlake student and three staff members accept 2008 King County Earth Hero at School award. |
School District: Private
School Location: Redmond
Began to participate in the Green Schools Program: September 2007
Level One of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2009
Level Two of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in June 2010
Level Three of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2011
General
During 2008-09, the second year of The Overlake School’s Go Green Initiative, the school continued to integrate green practices at every level of the organization. On-campus waste reduction and recycling, campus center composting, environmentally-focused Project Week and Service Day activities, improved methods for tracking resource consumption and the initiation of Green Grant awards represent some of the environmentally-conscious actions taken by Overlake administrators, faculty, staff and students each day.
In 2009-10, Overlake School continued to integrate “green” practices through facilities improvements focused on energy conservation, on-going waste reduction, recycling and composting, Project Week and service activities, monthly utility bill tracking and awarding four Green Grants for “green ideas” submitted by faculty, staff and students. The OWLS Project (Outdoor Wise Learning Spaces) was completed, including a campus-wide trail system, outdoor classroom, native plant identification signage, weather station and fitness stations. Additionally, the LEED certified Technology and Language Center opened in June 2010 featuring a green roof, solar panels, underground cistern, recycled insulation materials and other green technologies as well as educational signage and an interactive kiosk focused on energy savings.
Waste Reduction and Recycling
- During one school year, the school decreased copy paper purchases by 11 percent by switching from hard copy to electronic format for a variety of publications and forms, including budget forms, college counseling and student handbooks, transportation and room reservation requests, maintenance work orders and Go Green Grant applications. Admissions application materials are available online.
- Faculty meetings, new faculty and staff orientation meetings and parent meetings are paperless.
- The school continued campus-wide recycling and food scrap collection programs.
- Overlake Friends of the Arts (OFTA), the performing arts parent booster club, eliminated plastic water bottles and now uses compostable cups. For all arts performances, OFTA serves refreshments in compostable serving-ware.
- In 2010-2011, the Campus Center kitchen contracted with Full Circle farm for local, organic produce.
Education and Outreach
- In 2008-09, the school initiated Green Grant awards to fund green ideas initiated by faculty, staff and students. Two grants were awarded.
- In 2009-10 four Go Green Grants were awarded by the school for “green ideas” submitted by faculty and students including funding for Kill-A-Watt Meters for environmental science classes, a collaborative community garden project with Overlake Environmental Club and Hopelink at Avondale Park transitional housing, start up costs for Grademark.com, an on line grading system to reduce paper consumption.
- The first “Bike-to-School” Day, funded by a Green Grant, was initiated and led by Transportation Director William Gerdes.
- To facilitate on line textbook swapping, the school launched the “hootieslist.org” through a Green Grant.
- The school started a Green Blog in January 2009. The blog is maintained by the school’s Green Team coordinator. Visit http://www.overlake.org/blogs/green/ (external)
- The green team and school business office compile a monthly report to monitor resource consumption (i.e., electricity, natural gas, water, paper) through bill tracking.
- The US Environmental Science class writes a green tip of the week, researches campus energy consumption and presents recommendations to the school’s green team.
- A middle school environmental club called “Going, Going, Green” formed after Healthy Planet Project Week. The green team coordinator advises the new student club.
- The school initiated a partnership with Friends of the Cedar River Watershed for a student directed leadership team to monitor and advocate for water quality policy in our region. Overlake students partnered with other student leaders from throughout the region to collaborate with Friends of the Cedar River in this new initiative, which produced the Watershed Report video.
- In May 2009 staff attended the PNAIS Sustainable Schools Conference and the King County Green Schools Best Practices workshop.
Environmental Service
- Middle School students partnered with Woodland Park Zoo, Cedar River Watershed and Green Redmond for service days focused on endangered species and healthy watersheds. Projects included invasive removal, “zoo doo” projects, backyard habitat workshop preparation.
- Upper School students partnered with Mountains to Sound Greenway for Service Day and Earth Day projects on Tiger Mountain and Lake Sammamish State Park and with Green Redmond at Redmond Watershed Park. Projects included invasive removals and native plant restoration.
- In May 2010 the Upper School environmental club partnered with residents of Avondale Park transitional housing facility to install a vegetable and herb garden on the grounds of Avondale Park. Overlake students started plants from seed in the school greenhouse for transplant at Avondale Park.
- Middle school students completed National Wildlife Schoolyard Habitat Certification for the Overlake campus, which was awarded certification in December 2009.
Energy Conservation
- Energy Conservation Awareness Campaign Kick-Off: Compact fluorescent light bulbs were provided to each faculty and staff member with a list of recommendations for energy conservation. Stickers were placed on light switches and equipment throughout campus encouraging Overlake community members to turn off lights and conserve.
- The Overlake School green team initiated and funded a comprehensive campus-wide audit focused on heating, lighting and water consumption. The audit report recommended facility improvements and “right on time” (ROI) data for short-term and long-term facilities maintenance. Head of School adopted the green team audit recommendations in June 2009, with instructions that the recommendations be incorporated into short-term and long-term facilities plans. First recommendation: retrofit Field House lighting in December 2009, with Puget Sound Energy rebates from the retrofit to be funneled back to the Go Green Grant fund.
- The Maintenance Department installed 55 sink aerators and 26 LED exit lights using a Puget Sound Energy rebate program, resulting in a per faucet water reduction from two gallons per minute to .05 gallons per minute and electricity reduction of 75 percent per LED unit.
- In 2010-11, the Math/Science Building lighting retrofit was completed, qualifying for a significant rebate from Puget Sound Energy. Additionally, upgraded lighting fixtures were installed in the art barn, campus center and exterior paths.
- In 2010-11, electricity consumption was reduced by 14 percent and natural gas by five percent. Combined gas and electric bills decreased by 12 percent.
- An electric car-charging station, donated by an Overlake parent, was installed.
- An education kiosk which tracks energy generated by solar panels was installed in the Technology Language Center entrance.
Water Conservation
- Low-flow fixtures were installed in the Field House.
- A water control system was piloted in the new fifth/sixth grade center.
- Water consumption decreased by 35 percent, with a 25 percent cost savings.
Award
- The Overlake School received a King County Earth Hero at School award in April 2008.
For more information about this school’s participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:
Melody Gulledge, director of sustainability
mgulledge@overlake.org
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