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Schools in the News
Calvert County Schools 100 Percent Green Again
Makefield Learning Garden: A Special Award-Winning Garden
Bethesda students sort trash, make soil
Robert Moton Green Team plants trees to better environment
Author Brings Hands-On Environmental Education to Joppa View
Camp Greentop Camp Outdoor Education Great Hands-On Experience
Burning Tree Elementary Students Make Soil Out Of Trash
Students Learn Field Science at Prince William Forest Park
School Installation Teaches Maryland Kids About Solar Power
Calvert County Schools 100 Percent Green Again 
Washington-Post
May 16, 2012
The Calvert County public school system is closing out the school year by celebrating that all of its schools once again have been certified Maryland Green Schools.
Michelle Daubon, Calvert public schools’ Green Schools coordinator, said each school needs to recertify with the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education every four years.
Daubon said the announcement of the recertifications came late last month.
Calvert is the only county in the state with all of its schools certified, said Maryland Green School Program Coordinator Joanne Schmader of the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education.
This year Beach, Dowell and Plum Point elementary schools; Mill Creek, Plum Point and Windy Hill middle schools; Patuxent and Northern high schools; and the Calvert Country School were all recertified.
The other Calvert public schools still have their certifications in effect and did not need to recertify this year.
Daubon said to recertify, each school needs to send to the state association a presentation or Web site explaining its environmental initiatives, in and out of the classroom, during the past four years.
Tom Harten, who teaches the environmental education program for Calvert schools — said although there is no financial reward for being a Green School, “it’s a way to have an outside validation that what you’re doing is environmentally sound.”
Schmader said the Green Schools program has been supported by the Maryland Department of Education and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources; the latter has donated trees to some of the certified schools.
Harten said each certified school receives a flag and certificate.
“It’s really a way to raise the profile on your green activities,” he said. “It’s not a small-potatoes thing.”
Daubon said the Green School program in Maryland started in 1999, but the school system ramped up its efforts in 2006, and has since doubled its recycling.
She said the initiative was increased in 2006 so the certifications could “serve as a template to measure our progress in different areas” like recycling, energy conservation and habitat restoration.
Beach, Huntingtown and Patuxent elementary schools were three of the first schools certified in the state in 1999 and are now considered “model schools” and will no longer need to recertify, Daubon said.
Schmader said there are 22 model schools in the state.
Beach Elementary School Principal Michael Shisler said the school has been using its nature trail for outdoor education activities, but also takes advantage of Chesapeake Beach’s assets.
On Friday, Beach Elementary fifth-graders explored Fishing Creek on the town’s new boardwalk and trail with help from some of the town’s retired scientists to measure tidal flow and water turbidity, and saw the town’s oyster project.
“We have the best location for a school to explore the Bay shoreline and the local environment of Fishing Creek, and we want to make sure we use that to our students’ advantage as frequently as possible,” Shisler said in an e-mail.
“It’s really hitting from every angle from the student who helps recycle at lunch to the student who’s a scout and helps build a whole nature trail,” Daubon said of the Green School program. “It’s pretty neat, the energy out there. The kids love it.”
Plum Point Middle School’s green school coordinator, teacher Lisa Spencer, said in addition to a “very active” recycling program, bluebird box construction and a native garden, the school recently had a week-long “Pledge to Conserve Natural Resources,” signed by students and staff members.
She said the school’s staff has been keeping track of the school’s energy use since 2008, and it has gone down 18 percent since then.
Spencer said the students use post-lunch “flex time” to collect the school’s recycling bins, which she said “are constantly full.”
“The young people are almost more into the green movement than adults,” Spencer said. “They almost automatically throw things in the recycling bin.”
Joe Galarza, Calvert Country School teacher and interim green school coordinator, said his school especially has emphasized water conservation by placing signs over sinks and water fountains.
He said habits like recycling have become second nature to the majority of the special education school’s students.
“They see it as just part of their day — part of the jobs that they do,” he said.
Galarza said the school also conserves energy by not activating the light switches above classroom SMART Boards.
Patuxent High School science teacher Graham Coombs said the school’s environmental science students are responsible for “re-beautifying the school” by removing non-native plants and planting native ones in their place.
Daubon explained that local animals, like different types of butterflies and birds, rely on these native plants as a food source.
Coombs said turning off classroom lights and electronic devices also is stressed to staff.
“As technology grows, unfortunately, electrical consumption grows,” Coombs said.
He said that although most Patuxent High green efforts are the work of environmental science students, their peers respect their efforts.
“Most students, even if they don’t directly participate, at least seem to appreciate the aesthetics of it,” he said.
Makefield Learning Garden: A Special Award-Winning Garden
LevittownPatch
May 5, 2012
Last month the Makefield Elementary School Learning Garden received the 2011 Environmental Stewardship Award from Lower Makefield Township. Last fall, the garden received the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Community Greening Award.
There is an extra-special place in Lower Makefield Township—a place where students, teachers and community members gather to celebrate life—both plant life and life in general.
"What if we created a school garden?" Last year, this was the thought of Tom Guest, a third-grade teacher at Makefield Elementary School. Mr. Guest has always loved gardening, and wanted to share his passion with his students and fellow teachers.
In stepped Susan Mazzitelli, parent of two Makefield students, and cheerleader of all things environmental. She also champions the recycling efforts at the school. Mazzitelli and Guest, together with the support of teachers Roberta Stafford and Jim Parsons and Principal Donna McCormick-Miller, encouraged this idea and assisted in the planning and implementation efforts. Jim Bray, current chairperson of the township's Environmental Advisory Council, and a few others stepped in to help and provide guidance. As a gardener myself, I provided some advice at the early stages and secured a few garden supplies.
With the support of the entire Makefield community, a 30-foot by 60-foot bare patch of land was transformed to a beautiful, thriving garden. After months of planning and securing donations and supplies, suddenly it seemed like the garden literally sprouted overnight. From berries and tomatoes, to many native plants such as black-eyed Susan, coreopsis and milkweed—it was a remarkable sight.
Last summer at the garden, I met the Mazzitelli family of four who are dedicated to weeding, watering, composting and picking vegetables. Brothers Aidaen and Evan did their part as well as Susan, and husband, Matt. First Lady Michelle Obama would have been proud! With her White House organic vegetable garden and focus on healthy eating, the Makefield garden exemplifies both of these efforts.
Besides providing hands-on learning opportunities, the garden supports the greater community. In its first season, the garden provided about 16 pounds of lettuce, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers which was donated to the Morrisville Food Pantry.
"We created this garden in about six months," said Mazzitelli. "We had no money—but thanks to donations from the community and local businesses, a T-shirt sale, and donations from Dietrick Landscaping, we were on our way to realizing our dream. After all of our hard work, it was great to see the kids enjoying both tending the garden and experiencing fresh produce."
"I think we've created a template for other schools to follow," remarked McCormick-Miller. "Other schools seem to be catching the fever—they have been asking our advice about creating similar gardens at their schools."
Guest and the other teachers incorporate lessons from the garden into their lesson plans. Last year, his third-grade students measured the space and figured out how many plants would fit into the area as well as what types of plants might grow best there.
Aidaen Mazzitelli, who was a student in Guest's third-grade class last year, said he enjoyed being outside and doing math in the garden.
"I'll be at Makefield for only a few more years, but I'll be at the garden forever," he said after the awards ceremony.
Timmy Hauck, currently a Makefield Elementary third-grader said planting tomatoes in the garden last year was one of his top memories of second grade.
This year Makefield will be able to use lessons from the garden in the annual "Makefield Colonial Days" celebration which is Friday, May 11.
"Many of our perennial plants were used for medicinal purposes in Colonial Days—we'll be talking about those uses with the students," said Mazzitelli. "We are also planting some vegetables that would have been found in Colonial gardens. So far we have grown from seed squash, beans, two types of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and marigolds for pest control and will plant herbs like basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano and sorrel."
Sustainability, environmental-leadership, community partnership, hands-on learning...these aren't just empty words for those involved with the garden at Makefield Elementary School, they are a passion they will continue to live by.
You can read the Makefield Learning Garden blog here.
Bethesda students sort trash, make soil
Maryland Gazette
May 9, 2012
Making soil is not something students at Burning Tree Elementary School usually learn how to do.
But after a week, they were pretty good at it, Vice Principal Jennifer Lowndes said.
As part of a two-week trial that ended Friday, students learned how to compost and why composting helps the environment.
Students worked with growingSOUL (Sustainable Opportunities for Universal Learning), a sustainability education center, and The Compost Crew, an at-home pickup service for organic waste.
Plastic buckets were set up in the cafeteria and PTA volunteers helped children sort recycling, compost materials and trash from their lunches.
GrowingSOUL gave presentations showing how to compost — all food waste but meat, plus paper items such as towels and bags in moderation, breaks down into a mixture that can be used to fertilize.
By the seventh day of the trial, the children collected less than 20 pounds of trash and nearly 45 pounds of compost; that compares to more than 40 pounds of trash and more than 50 pounds of compost at the start of the trial.
The food waste was picked up by the Compost Crew, Lowndes said. The waste will be composted, and the school may receive some of the compost in the form of soil to be used at the school, she said.
“It helps our school be green,” said fifth-grader Lydia Zebrak, 11.
Lydia is a member of the student Green Team, which helps spread environmental awareness and takes on environmentally friendly projects.
The project was hosted by the school’s PTA Environmental Committee, which wanted to offer a hands-on learning experience. The school received a $300 grant from the Pyle Education Foundation, which supports the Pyle Middle School community.
Student volunteers from Walt Whitman High School helped students sort their leftovers.
Daniela Gomes, a 10th-grader at Whitman, is part of the high school’s Green Team.
“If [the students] learn [to recycle and compost] now, they will be used to it and they won’t even think twice about it later, and that will do wonders for the environment,” she said.
Mary Kunst and Laura Flicker, teachers at Burning Tree, led the school to becoming a Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education certified Green School.
They worked on energy conservation awareness and recycling efforts to qualify, Kunst said.
All Montgomery County Public Schools are getting more involved with sustainable efforts and education, said Hillary H. Kirchman, program manager of the school system’s Energy and Recycling Team.
Last year, the school system recycled 43 percent of its waste, including paper, cardboard, commingled materials, yard waste and scrap metal, she said.
Teachers are able to find energy and recycling lessons within the new curriculum, Curriculum 2.0, and ask people from Kirchman’s team to teach in their classrooms.
Lydia said she encourages her classmates to compost and recycle because it is good for the Earth, and easy to do.
She and other members of the green team collect recycling from classrooms. It is important for her school to be green, she said.
“If a school isn’t green, then why would anyone else be?” she asked.
jbondeson@gazette.net
Robert Moton Green Team plants trees to better environment
The Advocate of Westminster & Finksburg (Md.)
May 8, 2012
Members of the Robert Moton Elementary School Green Team got their hands dirty planting trees on the school grounds after spending months learning about how to make a positive impact on the environment.
Many of the 26 students in the group had never heard of recycling or even planted a flower, much less a tree, before joining the Green Team, said Jenna Blum, gifted and talented resource teacher and one of the several teachers who helps with the group.
“This is the first tree I’ve actually planted,” said Green Team member Vincent Cheezum, 10. “It’s a fun chance to get down and dirty.”
Blum said all of the group’s activities are centered around its mission statement: “The RME Green Team will create a healthy school environment by working together through school-wide activities to spread the message of environmental responsibility.”
The students in the group went on a field trip to Hashawha Environmental Center and had guest speakers visit their after-school meetings to teach them more about the environment. They even went to see “The Lorax” when it came out, and it was the first time several of the students had been to see a movie in theaters, said Amy Durdon, a second grade teacher who helps with the club.
“The kids have really gotten into it and have kind of been one step ahead of us, coming up with their own ideas,” Durdon said. “It suddenly has more meaning and feels more authentic for them. They made all those text-to-world connections, especially with ‘The Lorax.’”
After they took a nature hike around the school to evaluate problem areas, the students came together to brainstorm ways to improve the school environment, like creating a pond, building more bluebird houses or starting a compost pile. Eventually they decided that planting trees would be the best and most realistic way to better the school grounds.
By doing research, the Green Team decided to plant white pine trees and sycamore trees, both of which are native to Maryland. They practiced math by determining how tall and how fast the trees would grow, making different graphs for each type of tree.
When all of the planning was done, the group was finally ready to plant the trees themselves. On April 30 they planted a total of 24 trees, 12 white pines and 12 sycamores, on a hill beside Robert Moton.
The students said being on the Green Team and getting hands-on with the trees taught them a lot.
“I think the trees are awesome,” Alexis Fisher, 11, said. “I like Green Team because you learn more about stopping polluting and recycling and global warming.”
Brianna Holland, 8, who partnered with Alexis to plant two trees, said she enjoyed her time on the Green Team, too.
“I didn’t know what recycling was before,” Brianna said. “We kind of save the whole earth now because we stopped littering and we recycle.”
Suzanne Peters, a counselor at Robert Moton and Green Team coordinator, said she hopes the students will carry the lessons they learned while on the Green Team with them through life.
“I think for the kids, first of all, it’s important that they learned they can have a positive impact on their environment,” Peters said. “And the experience of being part of a project that will be a legacy here at the school is really cool for them.”
Author Brings Hands-On Environmental Education to Joppa View
PerryHallPatch
May 15, 2012
From an osprey caught in fishing line to an otter without toys, students at Joppa View Elementary learned new approaches to environmental issues last week.
"Most kids can identify exotic animals, but they're less familiar with what's in their own backyards," said children's author Jennifer Keats Curtis, following a presentation to kindergarten students on Friday. "They may not realize what's living right here in Maryland."
Curtis, an Anne Arundel County native, has published five children's books about positive interactions with the local habitat. Three additional books are scheduled for release this summer.
But with the help of an environmental education grant, Curtis took a break from writing last week for presentations to every class in each grade level at Joppa View.
"My stories are all about kids helping to solve problems, and sometimes the solution is to do nothing or find someone who can help," she said.
Curtis has worked with biologists and environmental advocates to make her stories as accurate as possible, she said. In "Osprey Adventure," the main character is a child, but when it's time to cut the fishing line that traps a baby osprey, a biologist takes over.
A class discussion on Friday focused on preventing some human-made problems related to the Chesapeake Bay.
"I'm still really worried about [ospreys] getting tangled in trash," Curtis told students. "What can we do?"
"You shouldn't throw stuff in the trees," a student suggested.
"Even though we weren't the ones to throw it there, we could pick up the trash," another student said.
Afterward, students touched the feathers of a mounted taxidermic osprey.
Curtis said she never intended to become a prominent "green" children's author, but rather sees herself as an "accidental advocate," who started as a journalist with a love for animals.
Tressa Norris, the school's library media specialist, said Curtis' stories and enthusiasm made a real impact on students.
"We don't always have the opportunity to teach about this in the classroom," Norris said. "When they get to have a real-life experience, they come away with a changed perspective."
Camp Greentop Camp Outdoor Education Great Hands-On Experience
Hagerstown Herald Mail
May 13, 2012
It was the opportunity to move her classroom to an outdoor, hands-on setting that prompted North Hagerstown High School teacher Wendy Fraker to seek grants for an overnight learning experience at Catoctin Mountain Park in Thurmont, Md., in the fall.
Fifty-five students in her International Baccalaureate biology and IB physics classes traveled to Camp Greentop for the experience on Oct. 19 and 20, 2011.
Fraker began writing the grant proposal in April 2011, with the funding covering food, camp rental and transportation to and from the camp.
The result was a collaboration with the National Park Foundation, Park Ranger Debbie Mills at Catoctin Mountain Park and Fraker. NPF offered 20 Park Steward Grants to any national park, and Fraker was selected to receive one of them.
According to a news release by Mills, in the 1960s and 1970s, Catoctin Mountain Park was the site for residential outdoor education for both Washington County and Frederick County Public Schools.
WCPS based its residential outdoor education at Camp Misty Mount at the park until the late 1970s, when Fairview Outdoor School was built. Frederick County sixth-graders used Camp Greentop for their residential program until 1996, when the program was discontinued.
The North High students are the first public-school students to participate in residential environmental education at Catoctin Mountain Park since 1996, according to the release.
“I would do it again,” said student Ben Shuster, 18. “It was great to have hands-on experience. It was different than learning out of a textbook.”
Fairview keeps a full schedule during the school year hosting WCPS fifth-graders overnight, and offers day programs for middle- and high-school students, but not overnights, Fraker said.
“We’re hoping the model we’ve created will help teachers in Frederick and Washington County,” Fraker said.
Besides the curriculum-based activities — which included macroinvertebrate and water quality studies — Fraker’s students also completed service learning, which included removing Japanese barberry, a compact shrub that is invading natural areas, earning Student Service Learning hours for their efforts.
Several students said the experience brought back fond memories of their overnight experience at Fairview Outdoor School when they were fifth-graders.
“I think a lot of them were reintroduced to the beauty this area has to offer,” Fraker said. “It’s hands-on real world application of what we talk about in class.”
The first day at camp, it rained all afternoon and evening, but the rain cleared out for the second day, allowing the group to take a hike down to the creek for macroinvertebrate studies.
“I thought it was fun,” said student Alex Unger, 18. “It was neat to be out of the classroom. The rain didn’t take away. Even though it was raining, it was fun.”
Fraker is in her 16th year teaching at North High and her fourth year with the school’s IB program.
The grant required 40 days of service in some capacity by Fraker, who worked at Catoctin Mountain Park last summer, collaborating on a junior ranger booklet, working at the Visitors Center and with Scouts and day camp programs, as well as planning for this project.
The high school students also were learning and preparing for the next phase of the experience — serving as peer mentors and educators for 100 Northern Middle School sixth- and seventh-graders in April at Camp Greentop.
Burning Tree Elementary Students Make Soil Out Of Trash
Washington-Post
May 9, 2012
Making soil is not something students at Burning Tree Elementary School usually learn how to do.
But after a week, they were pretty good at it, Vice Principal Jennifer Lowndes said.
As part of a two-week trial that ended Friday, students learned how to compost and why composting helps the environment.
Students worked with GrowingSOUL, for Sustainable Opportunities for Universal Learning), a sustainability education center, and the Compost Crew, an at-home pickup service for organic waste.
Plastic buckets were set up in the cafeteria, and PTA volunteers helped children sort recycling, compost materials and trash from their lunches.
GrowingSOUL gave presentations showing how to compost; all food waste but meat, plus paper items such as towels and bags in moderation, breaks down into a mixture that can be used to fertilize.
By the seventh day of the trial, the children collected less than 20 pounds of trash and nearly 45 pounds of compost; in comparison, at the start of the trial, more than 40 pounds of trash and more than 50 pounds of compost was collected.
The food waste was picked up by a crew that works with GrowingSOUL, Lowndes said. The waste will be composted on a farm, and the school might receive some of the compost in the form of soil to be used at the school, she said.
“It helps our school be green,” said fifth-grader Lydia Zebrak, 11.
Lydia is a member of the student group the Green Team, which helps spread environmental awareness and takes on environmentally friendly projects.
The project was hosted by the school’s PTA environmental committee, which wanted to offer a hands-on learning experience. The school received a $300 grant from the Pyle Education Foundation, which supports the Pyle Middle School community.
Student volunteers from Walt Whitman High School helped students sort their leftovers.
Daniela Gomes, a 10th-grader at Whitman, is part of the high school’s Green Team.
“If [the students] learn [to recycle and compost] now, they will be used to it and they won’t even think twice about it later, and that will do wonders for the environment,” she said.
Mary Kunst and Laura Flicker, teachers at Burning Tree, led the school to becoming a Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education certified “green school.”
They worked on energy conservation awareness and recycling efforts to qualify, Kunst said.
All Montgomery County public schools are getting more involved with sustainable efforts and education, said Hillary H. Kirchman, program manager of the school system’s energy and recycling team.
Last year, the school system recycled 43 percent of its waste, including paper, cardboard, commingled materials, yard waste and scrap metal, she said.
Teachers are able to find lessons about energy and recycling within the new curriculum, Curriculum 2.0, and ask people from Kirchman’s team to teach in their classrooms.
Lydia, the fifth-grader, said she encourages her classmates to compost and recycle because it is good for the Earth and easy to do.
She and other members of the Green Team collect recycling from classrooms. It is important for her school to be green, she said.
“If a school isn’t green, then why would anyone else be?” she asked.
Students Learn Field Science at Prince William Forest Park
WoodbridgePatch
May 8, 2012
From NatureBridge:
NatureBridge, the largest residential environmental science education partner of the National Park Service, brought a program model to the East Coast in Prince William Forest Park, located in Triangle, VA.
In collaboration with Prince William County Public Schools and the National Park Service—and funded by Google—NatureBridge demonstrated the power of outdoor, place-based learning to students and teachers and will work to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
"NatureBridge strives to bring the wonder and science of nature to students in national parks across the country," said Susan Smartt, president and CEO, NatureBridge in a press release. "Prince William Forest Park was built 75 years ago on the idea of connecting youth with nature, and we are thrilled to work with the community, schools and National Park Service to rediscover the power of this place."
Local seventh grade students from Graham Park and Rippon Middle Schools, two of the county's math and science magnet schools, were selected to be part of the program, which includes hands-on lessons in areas of STEM—science, technology, engineering and math. Curricula will draw from the Virginia State Standards of Learning and are designed to take advantage of the park’s easy access to water features and Piedmont Forest, as well as the park’s geology and rich cultural history.
School Installation Teaches Maryland Kids About Solar Power
Getsolar.com
May 9, 2012
Sandy Spring Friends School, a pre-K through grade 12 coed college preparatory Quaker school in Montgomery County, recently announced plans to install a solar system that will consist of 2,000 panels on the school's 140-acre campus. This is one of many recent solar energy projects in Maryland.
The system will be ground-mounted instead of a rooftop solar installation and provide more than 473 kilowatts of power, with an estimated output of 600,790 kilowatt-hours.
The project is expected to begin in June and is being developed by UGI Performance Solutions, which is a Pennsylvania-based energy solutions provider. Standard Solar, Inc., a Maryland-based leader in developing and installing solar electric systems for commercial, government and residential customers, has been tasked with designing and installing the project.
"The SSFS community is delighted to work with Standard Solar and UGI to install one of the largest solar projects in Montgomery County on our beautiful 140-acre campus," said Tom Gibian, the principal of the school. "Solar power, in its simplicity and efficiency, and as a substitute to purchasing electricity generated from the burning conventional fossil fuels, will become part of our curriculum (science, technology and entrepreneurism), will save us money and reflects our intention to practice good stewardship of our natural resources."
The estimated carbon offset of the system is 414 metric tons, which is the equivalent of almost 963 barrels of oil being consumed per year. The system will be owned by UGI Energy Services, the company the school has entered into a power purchase agreement with. The agreement between the two parties will allow the school to use the electricity generated for a fixed cost, which will lower utility bills.
"Solar installations are a great fit for educational institutions, providing significant economic and environmental benefits as well as offering educational opportunities for the students," said Scott Wiater, president of Standard Solar. "This kind of project can influence future leaders while helping the Sandy Spring community and its students take another step forward in their environmental stewardship."
The school also has a new community garden on campus in addition to the solar panels, which will provide food and clean energy for the students, who will also be learning about green energy in the process.
Students in nearby Fairfax County, Virginia, recently won awards at the Junior Solar Sprint, an event for those who design, build and race model solar electric cars, according to the Fairfax News.
