SHS makes Earth Week April 20 - 25:
We have a week to re-dedicate ourselves to earthly education and action. Student leaders Alex Curry, Neilan Freyne, and Stuart Johnson will start us off with morning meetings all week. The goal of the convention is to bring important issues and meaningful points of action to our whole school. Ideally, we are a school for the Earth all year, but having this special week gives the boys a chance to speak up and make some things happen, above and beyond. We have bold plans to do some work with Plastics, Pollinators, and Power. There are things the boys would like to teach, and some activities to try.
We're so Proud!
The Sterling Hall School marched it's LAST serving of bottled water out of the school on Thursday, March 12. As of that date, we no longer have bottled water available for sale at our Blue Window, nor are they welcome for classroom snacks, sports teams, Parent or Faculty meetings etc.. We have excellent water available from the taps and fountains, and are fortunate to enjoy it that way.
Thanks to those families and groups having already moved toward re-usable steel bottles, and jugs of water for their events. We are in the process of having a fixed water cooler/tap installed in the Dining Hall for the boys, and until that time will continue to make jugs of cold water available for those who typically bought bottles at lunch. For reasons of social justice, energy consumption, and material use we are proud to have taken this small step.
Our Mission:
In our studies, through our practices, and with our actions, we seek to continually improve our standing as environmentally sensitive and responsible citizens.
We look for positive changes within our homes and our school, an ecological context for our curriculum, and meaningful student lead activism. We understand the risks and discomfort involved as we embrace these duties.
Our Green School’s Committee 2008/09, has set off on three complimentary courses in keeping us all moving forward, improving on three fronts:
- Our Curriculum
- Our Institution
- The Boys’ Activism
Our Curriculum: Breathing Life
In addition to the existing Environmental components of our Science and Social Studies courses, the mission to educate these young men, Earthlings, is shared among the entire Faculty, and is meant to find a home in every classroom and subject area, every year.
Building on the themes established by our Stewardship Program, our teachers are working to “Breathe Life” into the important work going on all over the school. We believe that where there is good work, and real learning happening – in the Arts, Mathematics, Languages – that there must also be a theme and repercussion on our earthly lives. Something deeper than integration, “Breathing Life” asks our teachers and planners to make the Earth the central pivot to the busy activities that make up a school day, and year.
Our Institution
As we seek to continually improve our practices with material and power consumption, waste management, and physical plant features, this arm of the Green School has much to be proud of, and an ambitious list of goals for this year:
A compost program has been initiated through Turtle Island Recycling.
Our McCain Dining Hall recycling program was simplified and re-designed.
We have increased our commitment to Bullfrog Power - now supplying electricity sufficient for our Sullivan Music Centre and the Discovery Centre. All of the energy is generated from either wind or certified low-impact hydroelectric sources.
School community events are to be hydrated by H2O To Go – eliminating the need for bottled water.
A technology power consumption survey is under way.
Signage to clarify our “No Idling” policy is in development.
Bathroom taps, toilet flush mechanisms, and urinal water control units were replaced with touchless sensors and low-flow fixtures.
We performed comprehensive water and energy audits of the school’s facilities.
Moisture and humidity sensors were installed on the playing fields to reduce the amount of water used for irrigation.
The Advancement Department switched to FSC-certified, forest-friendly paper.
A battery collection center is in continuous operation outside the Phelan Library.
The Boys’ Activism
Lead by Environmental Prefect Alex Curry, an enthusiastic group of boys is actively involved in a few significant projects that are fun and meaningful. Our club – with a lovely long name that begins, “Really Swell SHS Boys that Meet Every Tuesday to Help Change the World…” is proud of the time and energy they dedicate:
“Treats for Trees” was a fund-raiser conducted during winter Wednesday recesses. We've raised aprox. $500 and will make a donation to ChariTree, to sponsor reforestation work around the world. http://www.charitree.ca/. Our group is registered to join in a planting project beginning Saturday, April 25 at Earl Bales Park. http://www.leaftoronto.org/community-plantings
“Save the Sharks” is a t-shirt design contest and fund-raiser. Student leaders chose the finest entrants to have their designs printed onto renewable fibre t-shirts, to be worn with the PE uniform. SharkSavers is our chosen benefactor, http://www.sharksavers.org/. The first run of 100 shirts sold out on opening day, April 3, and we're re-ordering, expecting to have another batch by mid-April. Many thanks to Geoff Boothe of Dominion Regalia for developing a very responsibly manufactured and printed garment that the boys love!
Boys have signed onto One Million Acts of Green, with ongoing contributions to a national campaign http://green.cbc.ca/
“Do BetteRRR” is an in-school drive to reinforce our practices in classrooms and at home to use material and power wisely, to re-use wherever possible, and to recycle carefully.
Boys took the lead in re-configuring the recycling bins, and putting compost services in place. Volunteers from the grade eight class take their turns with the daily responsibility to clean up in the Dining Hall, carrying out and replacing compost and recycling bags.
All interested parents and visitors can contact James Hay, Green School Coordinator, jhay@sterlinghall.com to make comments or lend time and support to our various initiatives.
