School District: Bellevue
School Location: Clyde Hill
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
Level Three of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in April 2011

General

Chinook Middle School formed a Green Team of students and staff to make their school a greener community.

Waste reduction and recycling

• The school has a 52 percent recycling rate.
• The City of Bellevue partnered with the Green Schools Program to assist Bellevue schools with recycling improvements.
• Students on the Green Team promoted waste reduction and recycling practices to their peers, and researched ways to improve recycling and waste reduction practices.
• In 2009-10 the school began to collect food scraps in the cafeteria, with a grant from the PTSA and assistance from the City of Bellevue. Food scraps are taken to a composting facility where they are turned into compost to nourish gardens.
• To prepare for food scrap collection, a game about composting was played during lunchtime and food scrap bins were painted and placed in the cafeteria.
• All classrooms, offices and the cafeteria have recycling containers. Student volunteers checked classrooms to make sure there were recycling containers in each room.
• All recycling containers have stickers listing what can and can’t be recycled.
• During 2009-10, recycling containers were placed in school hallways and teachers were provided with a smaller garbage container that clips onto their larger recycling container. Teachers received an email about the new containers, and were encouraged to recycle more.
• Students made videos and a website to promote the Chinook Green Team and its conservation activities: www.greenteam-cms.webs.com external link .
• The Green Team held a “Green Week” recycling promotion. Each morning during the event, students made announcements to provide facts to students and staff about how recycling saves energy and resources. Using the back side of old posters, the Green Team members also created and distributed posters to promote recycling and composting.
• Team members gave stickers at lunch to students who brought their lunch in reusable containers or were seen recycling properly. The stickers promoted recycling and the Green Team.
• To reduce paper use, the teacher handout and the parent newsletter are available electronically, classrooms use smart boards and the weekly staff update is sent via e-mail.
• A reuse station was assembled with staff supplies such as file folders and binders.
• During 2010-11, students continued and updated the cafeteria food scrap collection program. Students took turns promoting the program.
• Global Sustainability students took turns monitoring cafeteria containers during lunch.
• Students made announcements at the beginning of the year about composting, recycling and garbage.
• Students made recycling, composting and garbage posters for the cafeteria.
• The school reduced garbage from 24 cubic yards per week to 12 cubic yards per week.
• The school is building worm bins onsite through a gardening grant from Lowe’s.
• Staff placed recycling totes in all wings of the school to make recycling easier for staff and students.

Energy conservation

• The Green Team created “turn lights off” signs and posted them throughout the school.
• To encourage energy conservation practices, announcements were made at staff meetings and emails were sent to all staff.

Water conservation

• Students in all grades can participate in the global sustainability class which covers water conservation in depth.
• Sixth graders study the impacts of human water use on ecosystems.
• Students placed posters promoting water conservation throughout the school.
• The green team used the water conservation resource tub from the City of Bellevue.
• The green team sent an email to all staff about water conservation.
• Students created skits and made all-school announcements about water conservation.
• Students placed “turn water off” stickers by sinks throughout the school

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

Chinook Middle School
425-456-6300