Going green

École George V School’s ESD Club, The Green Team, has had a very busy inaugural year. Under the guidance of teachers Mme. Jo Fredericks and Mme. Chantelle Manicom, the team continued to support the recycling and plastic bag initiatives that began three years ago. The team meets weekly during the lunch hour to expand their knowledge of the three pillars of sustainable development and have shared this knowledge school-wide and in the community through our monthly newsletters, through posters and during ESD assemblies.

New projects for the approximately 45 student-strong team made up of students from grades 1 to 8, also included collecting tabs to help offset the costs for out of town families with sick children at Ronald McDonald House, as well as the “greening” of the interior of the school by re-rooting our existing potted plants.

The biggest project that the Green Team has undertaken is the school-wide composting project. Compostable items are collected in each classroom, breakfast program, lunch program, and before and after program. They collect compost weekly, remove any non-compostable material, weigh it to track how much we are composting (an average of 50 lbs per week) and add it to the compost bins in our fenced in compost compound. They maintain the compound and have begun to make plans for this area.

Incorporating Aboriginal teachings, the students have initiated the creation of a turtle rock garden in the compost area that will grow traditional plants. These will be maintained using the soil created from the school compost in years to come. A wooden frame has been built around the interior of the compound to contain all soil as well as flowerbeds and small vegetable gardens that will be created over the next few years. This will assist in giving back to the school’s breakfast or lunch programs or to the local church, which also provides its compostable material to the school compost.

We are very proud of the George V Green Team and the accomplishments they have had so far and their plans for the future of sustainability at our school. Their enthusiasm is catching and we look forward to these future leaders guiding us forward.