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Success Story: Tyee Middle School
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
Level Two of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2010
Level Three of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in April 2011
General
- A student Eco Club was formed to help make Tyee a greener community.
Waste Reduction and Recycling
- The school has a recycling rate of 50 percent.
- The City of Bellevue partnered with the Green Schools Program to assist Bellevue schools with recycling improvements.
- Recycling containers are in the cafeteria and in all classrooms and offices, and each container has a sticker on it that lists what can and can’t be recycled. Students helped by checking each classroom to make sure that each one had a recycling container.
- Each week, the Eco Club collects recyclable materials from classrooms.
- The Eco Club conducted “Dumpster dives” to determine the types of materials being discarded and recycled. They made plans for school-wide education and outreach based on their findings.
- Eco Club students made signs and posters promoting “green week.”
- The school held two “Recycle Week” events, during which students hands were stamped when they recycled.
- The school recycles printer cartridges, cell phones, cameras and batteries.
- Students and staff wore green to promote Earth Day.
- Eco Club students made a slide show about recycling, and also created recycling posters and made morning announcements to promote recycling. They also created and hung a “pledge to recycle” poster.
- In order to reduce paper use, all classrooms use smart boards, staff uses e-mail for communication whenever possible, and double-sided copies are encouraged. Students and staff also are encouraged to reuse paper that has only been used on one side.
- During 2010-11, the environmental club held a litter clean up in which recyclable materials were sorted to be collected for recycling.
- The environmental club held a green week during the week of America Recycles Day in November 2010. Students borrowed the City’s recycled products kit and displayed items. They also made posters and set up a recycling booth at lunch.
Environmental Education
- Science classes cover topics such as ecosystems, global warming and conservation choices.
- Students calculate their carbon footprints to determine their estimated impact on the earth.
- Classroom workshops were presented by Powerful Choices, a Puget Sound Energy/City of Bellevue program.
- The Eco Club organized a biodiesel workshop and invited the school community to attend.
- Students visited Camp Orkila, a YMCA camp where they learned about sustainable living and composting. One camp activity involved making s’mores from heat generated by the compost pile.
- Eco Club members created display boards about environmental topics for the main common area.
- The Eco Club created a “footprint campaign” in which large photos of black footprints appeared all over the school. About a week later, facts about consumption or conservation appeared under the prints.
- Eco Club members made announcements to students and staff about conservation.
- A large stop sign was created and placed next to water bottle vending machines to encourage students to refill their own reusable bottles instead of purchasing bottled water.
- Near Earth Day, the Eco Club held a “green week” to promote resource conservation.
- The club invited the City of Bellevue to set up a lunch booth during “green week” to help promote recycling and recycled products.
Energy Conservation
- Eco Club students placed “lights out” stickers on all light switches in the school.
- The Eco Club conducted an energy audit to assess each area of the school. As a result, an energy patrol was created to target areas of the school where lights are left on in unoccupied rooms and where electronic equipment is not turned off after use.
- Eco Club sent out reminders to staff and students about conserving energy.
Litter Reduction
- The Eco Club assessed the areas of the school where they found the most litter. As a result, the Eco Club created a plan to target the athletic field and after-school community use of the facility.
Water Conservation
- The environmental club held an event to educate students about water conservation using trivia games.
- Sixth grade classes studied water conservation and water quality.
- Students visited Camp Orkilla, which taught conservation lessons.
- Morning announcements were submitted to the front office and read to the school to raise awareness about conserving water at school and at home.
- The green team used the water conservation resource tub from the City of Bellevue.
- Nature Vision presented “Be the Solution” workshop for eighth grade students.
- Students placed “turn water off” stickers by sinks throughout the school.
- Students put up posters throughout the school to promote water conservation.
For more information about the school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:
Tyee Middle School
425-456-6800
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