Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 2011
Woodbrook Elementary School - 4/5 Challenge Class
The 21 students in Mrs. Stemnock’s 5th grade class at Woodbrook Elementary School designed a three-part project entitled Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. They hope to REDUCE pollution and wasted gasoline by creating and promoting a “No Idle Zone” in the carpool line at their school. The class will encourage their whole school to REUSE items instead of throwing them away by holding a used shoe drive and donating the shoes to kids in need. Lastly, they will introduce a program to inspire students, teachers, and staff to RECYCLE in the school cafeteria.
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Students obtained free “No Idle Zone” signs for their school and listened to a presentation by a teacher from the Improving Kids Environment’s Smart Schools Don’t Idle program. They learned that an idling car produces air pollution, even though the car is not going anywhere. Students passed on to their parents that if a car idles for more than 30 seconds, it will emit more air pollution than if it is turned off and on again.
Students created and posted signs introducing the new No Idle Zone policy at their school. They hope their school will set a good example by creating a cleaner, healthier, less wasteful environment for the students. Great Reasons Not to Idle
By encouraging their school community to seek ways that their unwanted items can be reused instead of thrown away, these students hope to foster an attitude of sharing and realizing that many unwanted items can be donated to charity.
Students worked with the custodians and cafeteria staff to develop a great system for students to recycle in the Woodbrook Elementary cafeteria. Trays are placed in the center of each lunch table, and students toss the recyclables into those trays at the end of each lunch period. Student volunteers then empty the trays into recycle trash bins.
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On school grounds, idling vehicles include school buses, parents waiting to pick up or drop off children from school or other activities, and delivery vehicles. Often, the pickup/drop-off areas are located near fresh air intakes, so the vehicle exhaust is drawn right into classroom areas. Improving air quality in and around the school buildings will make students and teachers feel better and will help reduce a key trigger of asthma.
Mrs. Stemnock’s class created signs asking their schoolmates for gently used shoes to be given to needy children in other countries. They decided to donate the collected shoes to a nonprofit group called Soles4Souls.
Soles 4 Souls will distribute the 122 pairs of shoes collected at Woodbrook Elementary to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 13 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes to people in over 125 countries.
Members of the Carmel Green Teen board visited Mrs. Stemnock’s class to congratulate the students on a job well done. Thank you to Woodbrook Elementary School students for your hard work learning about and teaching others to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
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