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Prizes 12.10.12


Hopewall
Hopewell Elementary School
Hopewell, Ohio
Green in Action Award Winner

Hopewell Elementary School in Hopewell, Ohiohas been dedicated to conservation and recycling for the past 30 years according to Patricia Jameson, Environmental Committee Coordinator.

Our GREEN WEEK goal for 2009/2010 was to REDUCE snack waste and FILL our Abitibi Paper Retriever.  Limiting snack waste re-emphasized our district’s Healthy Eating Policy. Both our “Paper Pledge Contest” ending in a “Stuff the Bin” paper drive and our Terracycle Brigades measurably increased our recycling collections.

Hopewell’s GREEN WEEK was extensively publicized through out our community.  Each staff member was given a syllabus with GREEN WEEK activities, goals and resources.  Student Green Keepers/Recycle helpers  were assigned to aid with organizing charts/data, collections, counting recyclables and weighing trash.

GREEN WEEK activities included “Daily Homework Challenges” and “Questions of the Day.”  These were announced each morning in our AM assembly. All grades participated in a variety of activities such as sowing seeds, setting plants, “green art,” writing poems, gathering recycling pledges, wearing green, packing waste free lunches, and continually promoting the “3 R’s of Green Week”; reduce, reuse, recycle.  Environmental literature and web sites were used to research the homework challenges and daily questions.  Students in the fourth grade were presented a program by our local Muskingum County Soil and Water Conservation District (MSWC).  All students were actively involved in promoting green awareness.

GREEN GOALS were set and met by reducing waste, recycling more and “stuffing our bin.”  A third grade class tallied more pledges than any other class thus were awarded a healthy snack and drink in recyclable packaging.  Several other students received special recognition for their individual effort.

Our students celebrated an “Earth Week” coinciding with Earth Day.  During “Earth Week” the students repeated their daily environment pledge, were creative on “Color My World“ art day, wore bright apparel on “Brighten Our Earth” day and viewed  environment education videos followed  by  lively discussions.  Students volunteered for a daily playground “Clean-Up Crew.” A representative from the Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation presented an Earth Day program and all of our students received saplings to plant.

We are proud to continue to be a “GREEN” school promoting area functions related to environmental protection such as; Muskingum Riverfront clean-up day, April’s National Paper Drive, Community Recycling Day and Textbook Buy Back Program.

Students will continue to be involved in “earthwhile” projects for the rest of the school year.  Field trips to Dawes Arboretum, Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus Zoo, Hooked on Fishing, and the Wild’s Preserve.  Follow up projects on biomes, habitats, and food webs will be presented.  Our third graders have even planted a “Pizza Garden,” growing herbs and vegetables to make their own pizza sauce. 

A “Happy Birthday Earth Day” bulletin board featured past and present Earth Day celebrations.  Students were even able to see Mrs. Jameson, our coordinator, celebrating a 1970 Earth Day at college!  Hopefully, this Earth Day Time Line will motivate our students to be “life Long Recyclers and Stewards of our Earth.” Our photo profile will exhibit some of our highlights of this banner year of environment education!