I have been hearing about Vista's Green Team, and I knew it had to do something with reducing waste at lunch time, but I didn't know too much about it. Then the teacher who is in charge of the program handed me a song that she wants me to help teach students. The tune is John Lennon's Imagine, the words all about reducing trash, written by students. She is going to make a video of Vista's participation in this venture and this song, so I just had to know more.
I learned that Vista and Oakmont represent Claremont in the Grades of Green Trash-Free Lunch Challenge, a competition between 24 LA County schools to see who can reduce the most lunchtime trash. Students wrote essays if they wanted to be part of the Green Team, and three students were chosen to go on a field trip to a landfill along with the principal, custodian and teacher. They learned all kinds of things and were taught how to sort waste. A total of 21 students are on the Green Team, from 2nd-6th grade.
Vista has gone from 8 bags of trash per day to less than one bag per day. Waste is recycled or turned into the compost (to go along with Vista's great gardens), and there is a HUGE dumpster on the side of the parking lot which takes all kinds of things, from clothing and batteries, to cans, bottles and e-waste. Vista earns money from this recycling, so it's a double bonus!
I am so proud of our kids who have taken an initiative and have great follow-through. I am also proud to be part of this community of teachers who teach the three Rs and more to our kids.
1 comment:
Thanks, Charlotte! Our Green Team is amazing!! Update: Vista has made the top 3 in the So Cal competition! April 3rd we will be judged and the first, second and third place will be determined. Although this prize is significant ($1000 for first place!), the true prize is in the lessons taught and the amount of trash reduced because of the Grades of Green Challenge:).
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