BY LISA VALENTINE
Lake Orion Review Staff Writer
You won’t find much paper blowing in the wind at Blanche Sims Elementary School if the members of the school’s recycling club have anything to say about it.
The club formed last month and has seven student members, who meet every Monday after school to collect recycling bins and plan on how to inform the community about recycling efforts. Club organizers Stephanie Ludwig, a Lake Orion Schools paraeducator, and Blanche Sims Elementary fifth-grade teacher Dave Stafford help the fifth-graders in the club with their efforts.
‘It’s a career-focus program, so the kids each have different jobs and they do marketing and there are some laborers,? said Ludwig. ‘They meet once a week and pick up the bins from the classrooms here.?
The students have also been working on posters promoting recycling as part of a marketing and awareness campaign to get community businesses involved in the project.
‘One student actually drew up a business plan and they actually called businesses to see if they wanted to be involved,? Ludwig said. ‘Every classroom has a bin and so does the board of education office.?
The school also has a large bin at the back of the parking lot, donated by Abitibi Consolidated, for the community to use for recycling paper (phonebooks and textbooks are not accepted). Abititbi has partnered with Blanche Sims on the recycling project.
‘We can take any paper,? Ludwig said. ‘People don’t even have to get our of their cars, we have it so you can drive around to it.?
Ludwig, who used to work in the Blanche Sims building, said the school had wanted to start a program like this for a long time.
‘We decided to do it in a club fashion,? she added. ‘The kids filled out applications…they’ve really taken to it. There are definitely some strong opinions.?
Club member Savannah Harris said she needed another school activity to get involved with, and fellow club member Molly Enright said she wanted to help.
‘We recycle at home,? she added.
Shelby Corless said she joined because she wanted to help the school, and club member Abby Knight said she was trying to get her family to recycle more at home.
‘My family really likes to recycle and it’s fun to do with friends after school,? she said.
‘I wanted to help out with an after-school project,? said Elliot Jarvis. ‘I like working with a team.?