What an awesome assembly we had today!!! I'd like to thank all the parents who were able to come out to watch. I'd also like to thank the day care for performing and showing their recycled art as part of our Eco-Assembly.
The Wee-cyclers preformed a song and short skit about what we should be recycling at school and at home. The Jr. Eco-Club presented their posters about what we can do around the school to be greener and we will be displaying them throughout the school as a reminder to the students.
I think that the whole school got really pumped today about the assembly! I'm hoping that they will take it back to the classroom and start to make sure that they are doing everything they can to be eco-responsible.
We're going for gold this year and I think that we can do it!!!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Food Imports
These days eating locally has becoming more and more popular. So much so that now Hellmann's (the mayonnaise) has put together a video about Canadian food imports, the economics of eating locally grown food, and how that affects our environment. I know that no one wants to eat root vegetable sandwiches all winter, but we should be making an effort to buy locally grown organic produce whenever possible.
I've included the video and a link to their website, but I'm always weary of big companies jumping on board with the latest trends. I wonder how many of the ingredients Hellmann's uses are locally sourced for each factory?
I've included the video and a link to their website, but I'm always weary of big companies jumping on board with the latest trends. I wonder how many of the ingredients Hellmann's uses are locally sourced for each factory?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Eco-Posters
Today the Eco-Club began working on the final copies of our posters for the March 4th assembly.
The students seem to be having a lot fun coming up with ideas and creating posters to help other students and our school become more green.
I hope there will be a good turn out for the assembly. Not only are the posters going to be displayed, but the Wee-Cyclers have been working on a song and a brief skit about littering. I'm sure that it will be really cute!
The Eco-Club will present the entire school with our bronze Eco-schools certification sticker from last year. I really want to take this chance to get students pumped about going for gold this year.
Litter and lunch time waste are a big problem at our school. With any luck students will start to think about where their waste should go: in a garbage can, recycling bin, or take it home for composting.
The students seem to be having a lot fun coming up with ideas and creating posters to help other students and our school become more green.
I hope there will be a good turn out for the assembly. Not only are the posters going to be displayed, but the Wee-Cyclers have been working on a song and a brief skit about littering. I'm sure that it will be really cute!
The Eco-Club will present the entire school with our bronze Eco-schools certification sticker from last year. I really want to take this chance to get students pumped about going for gold this year.
Litter and lunch time waste are a big problem at our school. With any luck students will start to think about where their waste should go: in a garbage can, recycling bin, or take it home for composting.
Tree Workshop
Tomorrow I'm going to a tree workshop being put on by Eco-Schools. I'm really looking forward to it. The last one was great. I've done all my homework and maybe we'll get a chance to update our tree tours with photos.
You should be able to find our school's tree tour if you type the school name into Google with the words "eco-schools tree tour".
I'm hoping to come back from this workshop with more activities to get students outside. I think that we're also going to get a tree cookie (a cross section of the trunk)
You should be able to find our school's tree tour if you type the school name into Google with the words "eco-schools tree tour".
I'm hoping to come back from this workshop with more activities to get students outside. I think that we're also going to get a tree cookie (a cross section of the trunk)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Seedy Saturday (Sunday)
Wow, what a busy and jam packed place the barns were on Sunday. I would have liked to have spent more time looking around and talking with vendors, but it was just way too packed for me.
It was great to see Garden Jane there. I first met her when I worked out in Scarborough, back when I first started teaching and got involved with Eco-Schools. Jane has a great program going on with beans and I hope to get in touch with her to find out more about it. Jane is the woman who gave me the recipe for seed balls.
While it's on my mind I'll have to remember to make seed balls with the Eco-Club for Easter and/or Mothers Day. That way students can go out with their families and drop balls all over the neighbourhood.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the main reason that I went to Seedy Sunday... to get seeds!!! There were tonnes of plants to choose from and lots of vendors. I was looking for plants that would either come up early in the season while students were still in school or late in the season when students have come back to school.
I managed to get some pumpkin seeds, chard, peas, and arugula. I can't help but think that maybe I should have tried to get some corn and have a Three Sisters section in the garden. I was also able to get native butterfly plants; they're in my freezer right now being tricked into thinking that they're in the ground ;)
I wonder if I can do the same thing with garlic?
It was great to see Garden Jane there. I first met her when I worked out in Scarborough, back when I first started teaching and got involved with Eco-Schools. Jane has a great program going on with beans and I hope to get in touch with her to find out more about it. Jane is the woman who gave me the recipe for seed balls.
While it's on my mind I'll have to remember to make seed balls with the Eco-Club for Easter and/or Mothers Day. That way students can go out with their families and drop balls all over the neighbourhood.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the main reason that I went to Seedy Sunday... to get seeds!!! There were tonnes of plants to choose from and lots of vendors. I was looking for plants that would either come up early in the season while students were still in school or late in the season when students have come back to school.
I managed to get some pumpkin seeds, chard, peas, and arugula. I can't help but think that maybe I should have tried to get some corn and have a Three Sisters section in the garden. I was also able to get native butterfly plants; they're in my freezer right now being tricked into thinking that they're in the ground ;)
I wonder if I can do the same thing with garlic?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Go Green: Climate Change Action Plan
The TDSB is taking a direction on climate change.
On Feb 3rd the TDSB's Board of Trustees approved the "Go Green: Climate Change Action Plan". I encourage everyone to read through this document to see what the school board has planned for the future. It outlines how the board is looking to reduce carbon emissions through the use of Solar PV systems, electric vehicles, waste pick up, and a very long term goal of market gardens.
It also includes what is already happening through the Eco-Schools program, which means that eco-literacy is still a big piece of the picture. There really isn't any point in doing this if we don't continue to educate our students about why being green is important.
On Feb 3rd the TDSB's Board of Trustees approved the "Go Green: Climate Change Action Plan". I encourage everyone to read through this document to see what the school board has planned for the future. It outlines how the board is looking to reduce carbon emissions through the use of Solar PV systems, electric vehicles, waste pick up, and a very long term goal of market gardens.
It also includes what is already happening through the Eco-Schools program, which means that eco-literacy is still a big piece of the picture. There really isn't any point in doing this if we don't continue to educate our students about why being green is important.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Green Neighbours 21
Green Neighbours 21 is a local community group for ward 21 and just beyond. They are a group of volunteers helping their neighbours reduce home energy use.
This program is different from a home energy audit done by a certified auditor because its role is to compliment the energy audit process. They can help you arrange an energy audit, connect you with neighbours who have done similar work, offer you a list of contractors who have been used and rated by the member community, and most importantly calculate your actual energy savings.
They also offer tips on things that you can do to seal air leaks in your home. Air sealing and draft proofing can reduce your energy bill by as much as 20%.
I know it's a little late in the season for this information, but there are still many cold weeks ahead and there isn't much time to be part of this program (it wraps up this summer for evaluation).
Two posts in one day, who'd have thunk it?
This program is different from a home energy audit done by a certified auditor because its role is to compliment the energy audit process. They can help you arrange an energy audit, connect you with neighbours who have done similar work, offer you a list of contractors who have been used and rated by the member community, and most importantly calculate your actual energy savings.
They also offer tips on things that you can do to seal air leaks in your home. Air sealing and draft proofing can reduce your energy bill by as much as 20%.
I know it's a little late in the season for this information, but there are still many cold weeks ahead and there isn't much time to be part of this program (it wraps up this summer for evaluation).
Two posts in one day, who'd have thunk it?
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