We’re Going Green!

This fall, Ms. Kos’s 12th grade World Literature-World Change class has embarked on a plan to bring environmental consciousness and action to our school community. Some of our recent activities include:

• We have enrolled Hasbrouck Heights High School in the Go Green Initiative a national non-profit organization devoted to helping schools become more environmentally responsible.

• In coordination with the Hasbrouck Heights DPW and the custodial staff at the high school/middle school, our group has led the efforts to coordinate and execute an extensive recycling effort in our building.

Recycling summary: When our efforts began, we recycled 0% of school paper and newspaper…We currently recycle around 85%. In September, we did not recycle cardboard…We currently recycle around 95% of all cardboard used in this building, (over 2 dumpsters full every other week). Until this fall, we did not recycle cans and bottles in this building…Since September, we are recycling an estimated 85% of all cans and bottles used in this building, with a very realistic goal of 100% by the end of 2007. Thank you to the custodians who have been extremely helpful and supportive!

• To maintain and achieve our ongoing recycling goals, we have instituted a public information campaign: Since September, we have worked closely with the Art Club and the Evergreen School to make posters for the cafeteria and the hallways. Twenty (20) informational/motivational posters promoting school recycling currently hang in our building. We are also working on bulletin boards in the main hallway, “Green hints” to be read during the school-wide announcements, as well as this web site, which we intend to update regularly.

• Members of the class are compiling a media watch scrapbook in which they daily monitor and save newspaper and magazine articles about the environment. The notebook is available for anyone in the school community to utilize.

• The class is working with a number of science teachers (who have volunteered to serve on our Environmental Action Committee) to create a composting project using food waste from the cafeteria. The project should be up and running by late winter and will be the springboard for a school garden project for later in the spring.

• Teachers in the school (twenty have signed up for our newly created Environmental Action Committee) are actively sharing ideas and support with the class. An Environmental Club and a lesson plan share are also in the works.

We invite anyone who wants to get involved with our efforts to create a more environmentally responsible school to contact Ms. Kos at the High School.