DNRP > SWD > Education & Schools Assistance > Green Schools Program > 2009-2010 Participants > Puesta del Sol Elementary School

Success Story: Puesta del Sol Elementary School

Puesta del Sol Elementary (click image to enlarge) Student Kylie Martin composts food scraps in worm bin.

School District: Bellevue
School Location: Bellevue
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: September 2008

Level one of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in June 2009

Waste Reduction and Recycling

• Puesta Del Sol currently has a 43 percent recycling rate.
• The school has recycling bins in the cafeteria and in each classroom and office.
• The City of Bellevue, which partnered with the Green Schools Program to provide recycling assistance to Bellevue schools, provided stickers in Spanish listing what materials can and cannot be recycled at the school.
• Students and faculty participated in a Green Week which included a “waste free” lunch day.
• To reduce paper use the school counts each copy made and holds regular staff competitions for the fewest copies.
• All classrooms have paper reuse stations and academic progress report cards are sent electronically.  The PTA newsletter is also going paperless.

Energy Conservation

• Many teachers celebrated Earth Day by turning off lights in their classrooms and discussing environmental issues.

Comments:

“Puesta del Sol worked this year to become a level one Green School by upping the existing recycling program. With support from King County’s Green School Program coordinators, we were able to make some adjustments and really see how we could increase our green efforts.  Students and staff worked to raise awareness and to educate about how to become more ‘green.’ We are trying to find new ways to decrease our waste by stacking our lunch trays, participating in off-site food scrap composting and also implementing a once a month “waste free” lunch day. Our next goals include seeing how we can increase interest in our Green Team efforts by involving the family community as well. Becoming a level one Green School has been relatively easy and we look forward to achieving our next level. Thank you, King County, for this program!”
– Maya Stevens, teacher, Puesta del Sol Elementary School, 2009

For more information about the school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:

Mark Miglorie, principal
migloriem@bsd405.org

Rina Fa’amoe, resource conservation manager for Bellevue Public Schools
faamoer@bsd405.org

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