The Super Green Eco Team Brainstorms New Ideas!

The Super Green Eco Team met last Friday, January 16th and discussed several important topics:

• Alex suggested we have a plant sale instead of a bake sale. This idea was supported by all members. Michele suggested we hold a plant sale during our Earth Week Celebration. Suzie & Michele will speak with Alex's mom, a plant store owner, about how to make this happen.
• During our discussion about how to improve recycling in the cafeteria, Alyanna, Ava and James noted that there were not a lot of signs identifying the recycling bins. We've decided to paint large signs to hang all over the cafeteria, so there should be no confusion.
• Penny suggested we change the light bulbs in the hallways to more environmentally friendly bulbs. This issue will be brought up to Shawn.
• Lucy, Miriam, and Lucianna were very concerned about the use of styrofoam trays in the cafeteria. Everyone agreed. This is an ongoing issue and further discussion will take place to come up with some sort of action.
• Kathryn suggested we try to get more recycled school supplies. Several other students were interested in this as well. Suzie and three members are going to create a sub committee to try to get eco school supplies to sell at the school store and have packages of these supplies available to parents next September.
• Reesa and Julian brought up the issue of the leaky water fountains around the school and what a waste of water it is. Shawn, PS40's head custodian, spoke to the group and explained that the fixtures were all very old and would be replaced through out the school within the next few months.
• Roy, Daniel, and Sarah said their inspections had gone well. Suzie handed out to all the members (inspectors) the new Badges with the 2009 winning logo. We should start seeing them on classroom doors soon.
• Olivia, Alex, and Kathryn spoke thoughtfully about creating a garden either on the roof or in the courtyard. In the garden they suggested growing plants that would bear fruit that could be served in the cafeteria. A lively discussion followed. Olivia, Alex, and Kathryn were asked to write a summary of their ideas to be discussed further in the hopes we will be able to implement this plan.

At our next meeting, Friday January 30 we will discuss:

• Paint signs for the Sport Night's recycled sports equipment table
  
• classroom inspections
• how to study the reusable water bottle usage in each class
• the garden summaries
• school supply committee
• Earth Week, March 2-6
  
• bagels and cream cheese will be served
  

The following meeting will be Friday February 13th when we will have a MicroFiber cloth workshop and a presentation by a Salk school student and their recycling plans.

Sports Night Tag Sale!

What a GREAT way to 'Reduce & Reuse!!'

Ballot's Counted! AND.....

The ballots were counted this morning...And here is your new 2008-09 Super Green Eco Team Logo by 4th grader-Jackson!!!

The Ballot box was jam packed full of votes...thank-you everyone for voting and thanks to all the students that submitted drawings, they were all great and we'll use them for posters during the year. 

Look for the new logo and the 3 runner up images posted on the bulletin board this week!

Logo & Store Signs

Please remember to cast your vote for 'The Reduce & Reuse Challenge' Logo. All the submissions are posted on the bulletin board in the cafeteria. And they look great! 

Also, some Super Green Eco Team members stayed after school today to paint signs for the new stainless water bottles & reusable travel mugs that are going to be on sale in the school store. A great holiday gift for you loved ones and the earth! Also very in keeping with our Reduce and Reuse Challenge! Check out the signs- there's a lot of interesting facts on them.

Logo for Reduce & Reuse!

HI! Today we had our 3rd meeting with the Super Green Eco Team! We were looking over some student submissions for the 2008-09 Reduce & Reuse Challenge Logo. This image will visually represent the entire schools' efforts this year in the challenge, so it's a big deal. One of the team members, Reesa, had a FANTASTIC idea! And that is to put all the drawings on the bulletin board in the cafeteria, with a slot-box and let the whole school vote for their favorite....! Wow! Great idea. And Daniel, who created last years logo, volunteered to create the voting box. So, please please please take a look at them next week (Dec. 8th-12th) and cast your vote!

Here's a peek at todays meeting.....

Scrap Paper!

Did everyone see the morning sign Ms. Felder wrote on November 6, 2008? If you missed it, here it is!

Welcome back!!

Hi Everyone! 

Last year PS40 won the NYC Dept of Sanitation's TrashMaster's 'Recycling' competition; making PS40 the best elementary school recyclers in Manhattan with a prize of $3000!

The student eco-team, known as the 'Super Green Eco-Team' worked hard to teach their fellow students and teachers how and what to recycle & inspected each classrooms' recycling bins and system. They designed a logo which was printed on badges that were awarded to classrooms who passed their inspections. The logo was also printed on organic shirts and sold at the Earth Week celebration. The goals of the eco-team were based on the specific requirements of the competition in which the eco-team competed. 

This year, the 2008-09 eco-team will participate in the 'Reduce and Reuse Challenge' competition. They will brainstorm on ways to educate the students & PS40 administration about how to reduce and reuse things at school and eventually to bring those ideas home. 

The student eco-team is led by two PS40 parents, Suzie & Michele,  and supported by the parent eco-team and the entire PS40 administration. 

If anyone would like get involved, or has an idea they would like to share, please bring it on, everyone is welcome!! Email Suzie (suziebaer@mac.com) or Michele (elsiesmom@mac.com).

It's going to be a great year!  

Remember, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE....RETHINK!! We live on an amazing planet, please let's all learn to take care of it!