Hi - this is Savanah Zednicek again from Char-Em ISD AmeriCorps. Wednesday, April 22 was Earth Day and here at Lincoln Elementary School in Petoskey students participated in a full day of educational fun and learning. Kindergarten through 5th grade students took a pledge to be protectors of the Earth before they began their day. Then they learned about bald eagles on Walloon Lake, planted seedlings, participated in a recycle-relay, enjoyed lunch outside, cleaned up the playground and local community, and discovered how paper is made.Students were very excited for the 2009 Earth Day activities, but they have been leading recycling initiatives in the Petoskey School District for two years, thus creating a culture of caring. Last year, students began to hold recycling collection days each week, with each room keeping recycling bins for paper and plastic. Bins for battery collection were also placed throughout the schools and quite recently students began recycling juice containers….while actually making some money for the school.
What is most impressive is that students at Lincoln Elementary School have been learning to compost for the past two months. The school’s Parent Teacher Organization approved the purchase of a compost tumbler and students have been participating in composting, recycling, and reusing all the materials from their lunch and snacks. They have been learning how to balance the compost, what can go in the compost, and what the compost can be used for. Through the many efforts of the students and staff at Lincoln Elementary School, the building’s trash was reduced by two industrial size bags a day - and that is just from lunch waste!
I’m greatly impressed with the students’ accomplishments and commitment to making the world a better place. If you’ve every read The Lorax, I’m sure you are familiar with this quote:“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
To me this quote means so much more than just protecting our environment and the things around us. AmeriCorps members have proven the spirit of caring is alive and well and that because we care, we are getting things done!! Lincoln Elementary School students have shown the same.
We have all proven that a whole awful lot can get better; we’ve done the work to make it happen. So let’s keep it up and show our strength now more than ever…AmeriCorps Week is coming, are you ready?!?! Let everyone know what you’re planning…we’d love to hear what “someone like you” is doing.
1 comment:
Ah!
Dr. Seuss what a member he'd make.
Would he not?
He'd get things done, on the run.
Without stopping to say, "But I'm only one!"
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