Friday, Oct. 17, 2008
Old Settlers 'Go Green’ Winner, Again
Elementary School Wins Awards
By Adrian McCandless
Staff Reporter
Old Settlers Elementary School received national recognition last year when it was selected as the 2007-2008 Go Green School of the Year by the international Go Green Initiative organization.
The school’s students, faculty and staff were just as excited by being selected as the Go Green School of the Week last week.
PTA Ecology Chairman Tracy Logan said last week’s recognition stemmed from the national award.
The Outstanding Green School award requirements include: having a campus beautification project; Earth Day Project; sponsoring an environmental event; initiating a recycling project; participating in the national PTA Environmental Contest; becoming involved in a local environmental issue; and having one teacher earn six hours of environmental education.
Old Settler’s students, faculty and PTA members selected the Outdoor Learning Center Gardens as the beautification project.
Former PTA Ecology Chairman Bonnie Carner said a vegetable and butterfly garden originally built in 2002 was completely redesigned, and a wildlife pond was added to the area, as were mini gardens [such as herb, scented, butterfly nectar] and a caterpillar café.
Carner said that the butterfly garden is on the path of the Monarch butterfly’s migration route.
Milkweed was planted for munching by the butterflies. Logan added that the butterfly garden has done so well that it has been certified by the Monarch Watch and The National Wildlife Federation.
"This is like an oasis of relaxation – it is my favorite part of the building," Old Settlers Elementary School Principal Mary Lewis said.
PTA members, students, faculty and staff also transformed the vegetable gardens which grew from 16 to 24 beds.
Students learn how to plant vegetables, and harvest them when the time is right.
First-grade teacher Sabrina Royal’s class went to the garden on Monday, and — with the help of Logan — learned how to pick radishes that they had planted.
The students were then allowed to take the radishes home. Logan added that the students are very eager to learn about the gardens.
"They love it — they don’t out grow it," she said.
Print
E-Mail
