Success story: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart

School District: Private
School Location: Bellevue
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: September 2008

Level One of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in June 2009
Level Two of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in June 2010

Waste reduction

The student Green Team at Forest Ridge created a video about reducing paper and showed the video to the school.
The school promoted its policy of making double-sided photocopies, and staff is following that policy.
The school expanded use of “GOOS” (Good On One Side) paper for students to use in classrooms.
The student Green Team created paper reuse boxes for classroom printers. Paper printed on one side is used for draft copies.
Email communication is used as much as possible.
In the cafeteria, condiments are served in bulk containers and reusable silverware is available.
The student Green Team made reusable wrapping “bags” for the holidays.

The school’s recycling rate increased from 33 percent to 70 percent.
In the school cafeteria and kitchen, food scraps are collected for composting collection.
Recycling containers were placed in the cafeteria and in all classrooms and offices. Stickers listing what can and can’t be recycled are on all recycling containers.
Student Environmental Club members promoted recycling through a “Green Week.” They created posters, included recycling facts in morning announcements and showed a video about reducing the use of plastic bags.
Environmental Club members also made classroom presentations about recycling, and showed samples of recycled content products to illustrate what companies do with the materials that are recycled at the school.
Unwanted CDs were collected for recycling.

The student Green Team created a video about how to conserve energy at school, and showed it to the student body.
The Green Committee created “lights out” signs and placed them on all light switches throughout the school.
Energy conservation was promoted during “Green Week.”

The student Green Team started the “Stall Talk” program that places environmental facts on doors in bathroom stalls.
A green educational group was added to the Ethics Conference.
Student Green Team organized an eco-fashion show to raise awareness of alternative clothing options.
A “Green Bucks” campaign was started to encourage green practices. Whenever students were seen making a green choice, they were given a “Green Buck.” The class with the most Green Bucks won a prize.
The school’s Green Committee is working on a green website to be launched during 2010-11 on the Forest Ridge website.
The Green Team is working toward creating a faculty training session about technology and going paperless.

Forest Ridge won the City of Bellevue’s “Recycler of the Year” award in 2009.
Teacher Heather Mirczak received a King County “Earth Hero at School” award in 2009.

For more information about this school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact: