Amtrak Green in Action Award Recipient

Thomas Prince School’s Princeton PTA Green Team

Princeton, MA

Still just in its infancy (established in fall 2010), the Thomas Prince School’s (“TPS”) Green Team, coordinated many “Green” projects this school year, including the following:

National Green Week Recognition

In recognition of National Green Week, the Green Team sent notices home to school families, encouraging them to participate at home and at school, such as by participating in Green Team-led TerraCycle Brigade collections, the organic school garden, and/or by bringing waste-free lunches to school. The Green Team asked all students to bring empty yogurt containers to school for use as seedling pots for school garden plantings. Hundreds of yogurt containers were collected, allowing ALL garden seedlings to be planted in these reused yogurt containers (rather than newly purchased pots).

Organic School Garden

In spring 2011, the Green Team, along with numerous volunteers and donors, worked to rehabilitate a school courtyard into a thriving organic garden. The garden is an excellent enrichment opportunity for students to get hands-on learning in various subject areas, including: earth and environmental science, biology, botany, math, and social studies. Working together to plant and maintain the garden also gives the students lessons in civic and community responsibility. This spring, nearly 300 students in more than 12 classes in grades K, 1, 2, 4 and 5, as well as Special Ed grades 6-8, 6th grade science and 6th grade art, are participating in the garden.

RRR Posters

This winter, the Green Team proposed and coordinated the creation of “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” Posters by all of the more than 400 students as Thomas Prince School. With enthusiastic cooperation from the school’s art teacher, all students were asked to make posters that encouraged their teachers and friends to reduce, reuse, and recycle more. Students used a variety of media, including reused and recyclable materials, to make their posters. Student posters were hung for months in the school cafeteria and hallways.

Composting Efforts

Currently, through efforts by the Green Team, all yard waste in the school’s organic garden is being composted in bins, obtained from Massachusetts’ DEP’s “Green Team”. Compost will be used to supplement the soil in the Green Team-led organic school garden.

TerraCycle Brigade Collections

The Green Team has coordinated the following TerraCycle Brigades at Thomas Prince School: Elmer’s Glue Brigade; Drink Pouch Brigade; Scotch Tape Brigade; Inkjet Brigade; Personal Care and Beauty Brigade.

Waste-Free Lunch Initiative

This spring, the Green Team has initiated “Trashless Tuesdays.” Students and staff are encouraged to bring a “waste-free” lunch every Tuesday.

Other Enrichment Opportunities Offered

This spring, the Green Team helped to bring Massachusetts Audubon naturalist-led classes to all teachers and to students in grades K-2.

Earth Day Cleanup

In recognition of Earth Day, the Green Team helped to coordinate a school grounds cleanup, which had the enthusiastic participation of students in all grades at the school. This activity encouraged both civic responsibility as well as environmental stewardship.