Principal's Newsletter -- April 22, 2011

What an incredibly beautiful day! Our first ever Sustainability Fair was a huge success. The LEED Gold plaque is sitting on my desk, confirmation that this building is a remarkable space in which to learn and work every day.

Principal's Newsletter 4/17/11

Friday is Earth Day.

We chose to schedule our inaugural Sustainability Fair on Earth Day for a variety of reasons.

1. The construction of the new school was grounded, from the earliest days, in principles of sustainable design. The original goal was certification by the U.S. Green Building Council as meeting the LEED Silver level award. We met Gold instead, which is a metaphor for the success of the project overall. We will celebrate this achievement with an assembly Friday morning at 9:00, as we launch the Sustainability Fair.
2. We have chosen to use the building itself as a teaching tool; the Fair is a way for students to share their learning with one another and the community.
3. This week is also "Screen Free Week." We love the concept of minimizing screen-time, both at school and at home during the week.
4. It's a great way to cross-promote the Bike Drive happening this Saturday on campus!
   

Here are some details about the Sustainability Fair this Friday. Please plan to join us for a walk-through with your child's class!

• Friday the 22nd is a half-day for students. Dismissal is at noon.
• 9:00 all-school assembly in the Commons to celebrate the LEED Gold award.
• 9:30-10:00 -- K-2 Tours the Fair (in the gym)
• 10:00-10:30 -- 3-4 Tours the Fair (in the gym)
• 10:30-11:00 -- 5-6 Tours the Fair (in the gym)
• 11:00-11:30 -- 7-8 Tours the Fair (in the gym)
• 12:00 dismissal

See you on Friday!

Principal Newsletter -- October 8, 2010

What if we could reduce our landfill-bound waste by half?

It's perhaps a bit ambitious, but that's our new goal.

We've thrown our collective hat over the wall by asking Waste Management to remove one of our four cubic yard garbage receptacles, and to replace it with a new hot compost container.

I've been thinking for a few years about a worm bin or compost system here on site -- and we may yet be able to utilize a modest worm bin for educational purposes -- but this new system will allow us to take advantage of economies of scale and will enable us to divert far more waste. The rule of thumb for the compost is simple: if it rots, it'll do. We can include meats, dairy products, bone, soiled napkins, brown paper bags, even pizza boxes and waxed paper. The leadership class, with Sara Brounstein, is busy training (after attending a training themselves) each class on how to separate and compost their food.

You will notice new green cans in the Commons and in the staff lounge, lined with compostable bags. Please help us out by encouraging children to fill them. (Then, on the weekends, you can buy it back as garden mulch;) Other ways to help us reach this goal are to minimize pre-packaged snack foods and to use re-usable lunch containers.

Reducing our waste by 50% is a big goal, but I know we can do it!


Thank You PTC!

Thank you for a great couple of days conferring about your children. We are so well cared for by the PTC -- the food they provide keeps us all going during conference days!


Coming Soon:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Next week's athletic calendar:

Monday, 10/11
Volleyball vs Gilkey - 4:00
Girls Soccer - White @OES - Release Time - 2:40, Bus - 2:50, Game - 4:00

Tuesday, 10/12
Volleyball @CS Lewis - Release Time - 2:30, Bus - 2:40, Game - 4:00
Boys Soccer - D2 vs SW Christian - 4:00
Boys Soccer - D1 vs Meadowglade - 5:15
Girls Soccer - Blue @Meadowglade - Release Time - 2:35, Bus - 2:45, Game - 4:15

Wednesday, 10/13
Girls Soccer - White vs OES - 4:00

Thursday, 10/14
Boys Soccer - D1 vs OES - 4:00
Boys Soccer - D2@ Catlin - Release Time - 2:50, Bus - 3:00, Game - 4:00
Girls Soccer - Blue vs PAA - 5:15

Friday, 10/15
Volleyball vs Faith Bible @4:00

Worm Bin Excavation

It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it. The beautiful dirt you see in the background was, at one time, leftover snack and lunch refuse. Ms. Peterson's worm bin is responsible for turning it into rich, fertile soil.