Three of Oxford’s elementary schools recently earned the Michigan Green Schools designation for their energy saving and environmental-friendly activities during the 2007-08 school year.
Oxford, Clear Lake and Leonard elementaries, along with 42 other schools from across Oakland County, were honored during a special ceremony May 19 held at the Oakland Schools building in Waterford.
Leonard Principal Joyce Brasington said earning this recognition was important because it shows the school is ‘serving the community outside our doors? by protecting ‘our environment and our precious Michigan natural resources.?
Each school was presented an official Michigan Green School flag and a certificate signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
‘Right now, we have (the flag) hanging in our school,? said Clear Lake Principal Sue Hannant. ‘It will go outside.?
Enacted by Granholm in 2006, the Michigan Green School Initiative is a statewide program open to all K-12 schools, public and private. There are 435 eligible schools throughout the county and of those 199 are elementaries.
The state program’s hands-on approach is designed to teach students ecological responsibility by making them stewards of natural resources.
Michigan Green School status is achieved by successful participation in at least 10 of 20 specific environmental activities written into the state law.
Activities include recycling paper, printer cartridges and batteries, adopting an endangered animal, instituting an energy savings program, observing Earth Day and establishing a natural Michigan garden with native plants.
Oxford Elementary engaged in 12 of these eco-friendly activities, Clear Lake did 11 and Leonard participated in 10.
‘We really feel that it’s important to be environmentally conscious,? said Oxford Elementary Principal Debbie Stout. ‘We’re educating our citizens of the future. I think we all need to be more environmentally aware.?
Stout noted OES couldn’t have done it without teacher Mary Kraniak, who applied for Green School status, the school’s Green Team (a group of dedicated students who actively promote things like recycling and energy conservation), and residents who drop off their paper products in the school’s recycling bins.
‘We really do appreciate the participation of the community when they recycle at OES,? Stout said.
Kraniak said having three of the 45 Green Schools in Oxford ‘is really an awesome honor for us.?
‘It really says something about our Oxford Schools community that we’re really making an effort to be very environmentally conscious here,? Kraniak said.
Although being recognized by the state is an honor, going green is it’s own reward for these schools.
‘This was never about any kind of recognition when we started,? Hannant said. ‘It was truly for the sake of recycling things that shouldn’t be thrown away in our garbage.?
For Brasington, involving students in activities that raise environmental awareness and promote conservation is just as important as teaching traditional academic subjects like math and reading.
‘We teach things that aren’t always tested on the MEAP,? Brasington said. ‘We really try to educate the whole student, not just what we’re expected to do through the State of Michigan.?
Don’t think just because they earned Michigan Green School status this year, Oxford’s elementaries are going to rest on their laurels. Green School status must be renewed yearly.
Hannant said Clear Lake will be working hard next year to earn ‘Emerald School? status, which can be achieved by successfully completing at least 15 of the activities on the list.
‘We’d like to work our way up there,? she said.
Kraniak said OES is going to try hard to accomplish all 20 activities.
‘This is only the tip of the iceberg,? she said. ‘We really want to do more to broaden our efforts to protect our natural resources.?