Sustainability is a year-round lesson at Royal Oak's Jane Adams Elementary. Yeah, the school does go all out for Earth Day, turning it into an Earth Week's worth of activities; however, school officials integrate those sorts of things in to the everyday lesson plans.
Students recycle everything from paper to batteries to cell phones. Teachers use solar cookers to teach some lessons about both science and sustainability. Students are encouraged to conserve electricity by turning off lights or carpooling.
"It's kind of all encompassing," says Kristin Smith, a 3rd grade teacher at Jane Adams Elementary School, who helps organize these sustainable efforts. "It goes beyond this week."
And it's why Jane Adams Elementary was named one of Oakland County's 98 green schools this year. Of those 98, 32 were designated emerald (including Jane Adams Elementary), which is the honor roll for the designation.
Both numbers are way up from previous years. Last year, 41 schools were green certified and only four were emerald.
Source: Kristin Smith, 3rd Grade teacher at Jane Adams Elementary School in Royal Oak and Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
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