School District: Northshore
School Location: Redmond
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: September 2009

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

Waste reduction and recycling: 2008-2009

• Sunrise Elementary School increased its recycling rate from 36 percent to 57 percent. The school diverts an average of three yards of recyclable materials out of the waste stream every week, for an annual reduction of more than 125 yards.
• The school’s Green Team conducted a Green Week to celebrate Earth Day. Activities included a waste-free lunch day organized by teacher Joanne Burkett.
• The student team created and distributed colorful posters about recycling that included samples of common recyclable materials.
• To reduce paper use and encourage the use of both sides of paper, the Green Team made scrap paper boxes for every classroom.
• The Green Team also organized an after-school activity of maintaining the school grounds without the use of herbicides or pesticides.
• Recycling containers provided by the Green Schools Program were added to each classroom for paper, plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
• School staff placed recycling stickers on all recycling containers. Provided by the Green Schools Program, the stickers list what can and can’t be recycled.
• Sunrise is piloting milk carton recycling in two classrooms with the intention of expanding the program school-wide in September 2009.

Waste reduction & recycling: 2009-2010

• The school expanded the milk carton recycling program from two classrooms to all classrooms.
• The Green Team replaced signs on trash cans and recycling containers where needed and conducted weekly litter patrol on school grounds. Three times this year the entire school participated in a playground litter clean-up.
• The Green Team created recycling posters and made school-wide announcements about waste reduction and how to recycle at school.
• At after-school and parent night events, the school encouraged use of durable water bottles and discouraged use of disposable water bottles.
• The school collected cell phones for recycling, and also collected Capri Sun juice boxes to TerraCycle, which uses them to make new products.
• Each classroom created a paper reuse box and teachers, with the aid of a poster campaign, encouraged students to write on both sides of paper.
• At monthly staff lunches, which are hosted by the PTA, polystyrene has been replaced by durable plates and silverware.

Energy conservation

• The school Green Team created an energy conservation patrol to check classrooms twice each month. The team drafted an energy audit form and provided reminders and recognition of conservation achievements for individual classrooms. Student monitors also checked the school’s water faucets for drips and reported their findings.
• The office manager made staff meeting announcements and sent reminder e-mails to all staff to close windows and blinds and turn off equipment when it is not being used.
• The school received assistance from the district-provided consultant that monitors and reduces utility use throughout the district.
• The school held “blackout day” in which classrooms were encouraged to turn off one or both of their overhead lights as well as unnecessary electronics.
• Signs provided by the Green Schools Program were posted on light switches to encourage staff and students to turn off lights in unoccupied spaces.
• The school drafted a notice for the parent newsletter about the school’s energy use and accomplishments.
• Through the district, computer monitors and electronic equipment are automatically turned off when not in use.

Environmental education

• Environmental topics are integrated into curriculum school-wide.
• Sunrise hosted a school-wide assembly on waste reduction and recycling, provided by the King County Solid Waste Division. Two different grades followed up with classroom workshops provided by King County.
• The school hosted Woodland Park Zoo presenters to speak about habitat and environmental preservation. Some classrooms participated in a native plant identification walk.
• For Earth Day the school had a week long environmental focus, including a waste-free lunch day in which students were taught to pack lunches in reusable containers, a school-wide litter clean-up, and a reusable art table for art night.
• The Green Team split into five committees, with each committee taking responsibility for one aspect of environmental stewardship and conservation, including recycling, energy and water audits. One committee is in the process of planning a school garden that can be used as a teaching tool for the entire school.
• Guest presenters were invited to teach water cycle workshops and tie into the theme of environmental stewardship.
• Through a parent newsletter, the school educated parents about turning their cars off when waiting for students.
• One classroom maintains a worm bin as a teaching tool.

Comment

"Without King County's assistance and guidance through the Green Schools Program, it would have been much more difficult to get our school to ‘Go Green.’ By providing recycling receptacles, signage, resources and environmental counseling services, the program has been an invaluable part of Sunrise Elementary School's achieving Level Two."
– Joanne Burkett, teacher

Awards

Teacher Joanne Burkett received a King County Earth Hero at School award in April 2010.

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

Joanne Burkett, teacher
jburkett@nsd.org