Holiday Conservation Facts

Did you know that the NYC holiday tree is is lit nightly by 30,000 LED lights to conserver energy? Did you know that its branches will become mulch and its trunk is used as lumber to help build a Habitat for Humanity house after the holidays? It is nice to know that the spirit of the holidays will continue throughout the year as the 74 foot tree will be REUSED instead of sitting in the landfill. What will you be doing this holiday to extend the life of our natural resources?

Waste Free Celebrations

Room moms and teachers have started to send in their requests for class celebration supplies...cloth napkins, silverware, plates, cups, and bowls. We are going to have a wonderful without regret for the trash since there won't be lots of trash. Can you say the same thing at home?

Another Drop Off

After meeting with the Conservation Chiefs, I dropped off two 14.5 pound boxes at UPS for Terracycle...one with zipper bags and one with drink pouches. We also earned $28 for the last shipment of drink pouches. Keep on collecting the drink pouches, writing utensils, corks, zipper bags, and glue sticks. Now, if you want to know about composting, ask a Conservation Chief. We will be composting food waste in the cafeteria to create nutrient-rich soil for gardening. All we need are greens (fruit/vegetable scraps), browns (bread scraps/napkins), air, and water. If you want to try composting at home, it isn't too hard so just give it a try.

25 Tips for a GREEN Holiday!

1. Turn off the decorative lights when you go to bed
2. Use LED lights
3. Use solar lights outside
4. Recycle old batteries
5. Use rechargeable batteries
6. Give Eco-friendly gifts
7. Reuse gift bags
8. Reuse gift boxes
9. Use reusable baskets
10. Use reusable tins
11. Shred old wrapping paper or tissue paper for filler in gift boxes, bags, and baskets
12. Wrap gifts with holiday cloth
13. Wrap gifts in brown paper bags with nice ribbon to dress it up
14. Make popcorn and cranberry garland to wrap the tree and then feed it to the birds
15. Make ornaments from reusable materials (check back on the blog for ideas)
16. Donate old gently used items to charity
17. Donate old coats to “Coats for Kids”
18. Donate old prescription glasses to the “Lion’s Club”
19. Use cloth napkins and table clothes to dress up the holiday
20. Make your own cards
21. Send e-cards to electronic friends
22. Buy cards made of recycled materials
23. Save this year’s cards to make gift tags for next year
24. Recycle your live tree into mulch
25. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rethink your holiday

Too Many for the Box

Mrs. VanderGeissen brought in 3 bags of drink pouches that her 1st grade nephew, Julien Melio, had the cafeteria manager at his Norfolk school, Fairlawn Elementary, collect for us. Isn't that great? Our desire to reduce waste has gone beyond the grounds of Creeds. Well, I put them neatly in the box to mail and couldn't help myself. So I took the others from the tub and filled the box. I could hardly put the lid on the box and there were still 2 full rows of pouches left in the tub. So when I dropped off the box at UPS, it weighed 12.8 pounds. I figure that is about 1200 pouches. I wonder if any of them will end up being Christmas stocking like this picture. What would you like to see the pouches turned into for their second life?

Dress up your Thanksgiving Table

It takes far less time to wash cloth napkins and silverware than to wait on styrofoam and plastic to decompose in the landfill. Treat yourself to the luxury of an elegant table when friends and family come to visit. You're worth it.

Yard Sale

Our Second Time Around Yard Sale was a wonderful experience this past weekend. We sold table space to 20 people. The money will go toward purchasing reusable cloth napkins and real silverware so that we can reduce the amount of trash going out after school celebrations. An additional benefit is that the staff and students will enjoy the elegance of these little luxuries. As for the yard sale, people's discarded items found new homes with new purposes. It was a win-win for everyone. Maybe we'll see you there next time. Oh...and the Frog Boggers did a super job conducting tours of the Frog Bog and were given $36 in donations to use on additions. It was a marvelous day!

Recycling Rewards

The Conservation Chiefs are on recycling duty. They are determined to teach their classmates to recycle the appropriate materials and trash the inappropriate materials. Their new responsibility includes checking the blue recycle bin in their classes at the end of the day and reporting any problems to the class so that they can learn from their mistakes. It is an ambitious goal, but I have faith that they will make a difference. I have heard from parents that they are working on the household, too. Way to go, Conservation Chiefs! Ask them what can be recycled and why it is important to recycle. What do you think is the most frequently misplaced material? paper? food wrappers? bottles? paper towels? Ask a custodian, they know the answer.

Conservation Pays Off

Ok, the totals are in. We earned $56.68 for our empty drink pouches, zipper bags, and corks. Thank you for sending in these items. Every item counts and they added up one at a time to a great total. Plus we prevented all the items from going to the landfill. They will be given a second life instead. What do you think we should buy with the money? something for the Frog Bog? something for the gardens? something for the school building that is eco-friendly? We should recieve the check in December, so give it some thought and tell your Conservation Chief your ideas.

Second Time Around Yard Sale

Mark your calendar for the Creeds Second Time Around Yard Sale Saturday, November 20th from 8-12noon. It is your opportunity to sell some treasures you are nolonger using or to purchase some treasures from someone else. If you wish to sell your treasures, tables are $10 each and the money goes to purchasing eco-friendly cloth napkins and real silverware for celebrations. They may require a little washing, but we won't be sending anything to the landfill. Besides when the children use cloth napkins and create their own napkin rings, they real like royalty. In addition, there will be Frog Bog tours and healthy snacks for sale. We hope to see you there. What might you be looking for or looking to get rid of this fall?

Terracycle Drop Off

I dropped off 3 boxes for UPS to deliver to Terracycle instead of the landfill last night. It was 12.25 pounds of corks, 8.3 pounds of zipper bags, and 11.4 pounds of empty drink pouches. They should recieve it and processes it in the next couple of weeks so that we will recieve our check for it in December. Please continue to send in your collections for us to send to Terracycle. Remember zipper bags don't have to be Ziploc, any brand will do. Also, they don't have to be cleaned out, just rinse them if they had something wet/yucky in them. Still wet inside or coated with cheese curl dust is fine. It all gets cleaned and shredded as it starts its new life. Do you think we can beat these totals with out next shipment?

New Turtle in the Neighborhood

Mr. Andy found a box turtle on the road and brought it to Creeds to see if it liked the habitat we had created better than the dangerous roadway. It moved right in to the tall grassy canopy of the Frog Bog when Mrs. Marx's class took it out. Do you see it in the picture? It didn't take long for it to disappear. The camophlaged shell blends into the surroundings perfectly. I hope she will be happy. Do you think she will like the moist, grassy habitat? Let me know if you see her.

THE THAMES IS THE WORLD'S LEAST POLLUTED RIVER

London's world famous river won this award for their efforts to restore the Thames which had become a waterway polluted with sewage and industrial waste where wildlife could not survive. Sixty years later it attracts salmon, sea trout, and otters. It is now a healthy habitat for some 125 species of fish. Water pollution is a global problem affecting all of us. London, England has taken a step to correct the problem. Three cheers for their efforts! What will you do to help reduce water pollution?

Tidewater Fiber Company

We were lucky today to have Kathy Russell of Tidewater Fiber Company visit our school to spread the word about recycling, reducing, and reusing. She was a wealth of information. She brought her therapy dog Taylor with her with a cape like a super hero sidekick. These are some of the comments coming from our super smart 4th graders: Trey said, "He learned to recycle only plastic bottles with a one or a two on it" in the recycle triangle. Emily said, "I learned that there is a trash island in the Pacific Ocean." Timothy said, "I learned that what you recycle can be used and sold again." And Phillip said, "I learned that recycling is important because you don't have to destroy nature to make cans again." I was please to learn that you can leave the cap on bottles being recycled because they have updated the machinery to separate shredded bottles and caps. What did you learn today?

Conservation Chiefs

Yeah, for the Chiefs...the Conservation Chiefs. The Conservation Chiefs met for the first time today. They will be bringing information back to their class to share with classmates on how to properly prepare our Terracycle collections for shipment. We almost have a box full of Capri Sun drink pouches, corks, and zipper bags. Keep collecting and giving them to your Conservation Chief. If you have questions, look for your Chief, they are your expert on the spot.

2010 Day of Caring

Volunteers are a wonderful thing. It is thanks to the amazing volunteers that joined us September 10th that we now have our 1st grade garden raised bed constructed, the bat houses mounted, the excessive cattails removed from the bog, and lots of weeds removed from the flower beds in the front of the building and the back by the Frog Bog. The frogs, dragonflies, and butterflies were certainly enjoying themselves. It will be great to get back outside when the ground isn't so soggy. I'll see you out there.

Meet Herbert

I found Happy Frog Herbert in my mailbox at school today. He was just hanging out, waiting to tell me how much he missed seeing my students visit the Frog Bog. If you have as little as 5 minutes to spend wandering around the Frog Bog, do it. Even in this heat, the trip is pleasant for a quick visit. In my little visit, I saw zillions of dragonflies, some butterflies, 2 spiders, a strange wood boring bee, an ant, lots of cattails, and tree that fell down across the path. You can still get around it with one giant step or by detouring through the center pathway. So take 5 minutes and enjoy our natural habitat. I guarantee you will hear birds, crickets, or frogs depending on the time of day you go.

Visit to the Frog Bog

I took my husband and Amber to see the Frog Bog because they hadn't seen it, but had heard a lot about it since I am always talking about it. We went in the evening and the crickets serenaded us as we explored. We did hear a couple of bullfrogs, too. There weren't as many dragonflies and butterflies as my daytime visit, but there were a few. The flowers are looking beautiful and the path is dry. We around the path and found a spider on the backside in a wonderful web. Have you been out recently? Have you been by to see the installed water barrels collecting rain or the cherry tomato plant with it's small harvest? Check it out if you get a chance. It is your turn to show mom, dad, and any family visiting for the summer the outdoor classroom at Creeds ES. Make it one of your summer attractions. See you there!

More Recycling News

Did you know that Creeds also collects for recycling cell phones and ink cartridges? During this year we have sent in 12 cell phones and 311 ink cartridges. At about 90 cents each, that totals $270 dollars that will be used for technology. But more importantly for the environment, it means a reduction in trash going to the dump. Yeah! Thank you Mr. Bernhard for recycling cell phones and ink cartridges for Creeds. Remember, if you have a cell phone or empty ink cartridge, don't throw it away, drop it off at Creeds ES for recycling.

Some Impressive Numbers

6807 pieces of "trash" being revitalized. $136.14 we will have to spend on something eco-friendly for Creeds ES in the fall. 6 months of collecting is all we did this year since we didn't start until mid-December. This is just one small step towards conservation. Image what the numbers would be if everyone recycled all year long. In addition, image how many natural resources could be saved for the future. Cheers to you, Creeds, for taking the challenge and soaring high. Now, what should we spend our $136 on in the fall?

Rainbarrels Installed

If you get a chance, stop by CES to see the new rainbarrels. They have been installed behind the school between the cafeteria and gymnasium. Now, if only we would get some rain to fill them. They will be very useful in watering our plants without having to use the water from the well. We will REUSE the rainwater and CONSERVE the well water. Wouldn't you like to have a rainbarrel? What would you use the water for at your house? I'm going to use mine to water the plants in my backyard and for rinsing things off.

39 Pounds Diverted

Yes, I dropped off the empty drink pouches (7.7 pounds), the Elmer's glue sticks (11.7 pounds), Ziploc bags (5.5 pounds), and writing instruments (14.4 pounds) at the UPS office today. That's a total of 39 pounds that didn't go to the landfill. I wonder what it will all be turned into in the future. I just love the idea that Terracycle can take our TRASH to create useful stuff with a new purpose and pay us 2 cents each. We will continue to collect over the summer, so save your empty drink pouches, Elmer's glue sticks and bottles, Ziploc bags, and writing instruments (Sharpie, Expo, and PaperMate). If your collection becomes too big, you can drop it off at the Creeds ES office Monday-Thursday in the Conservation Chiefs tub. Conservation shouldn't take a vacation, so remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle all summer long. We will decide how to spend our earnings in the Fall. What do you think we should buy? Remember it must be eco-friendly.

Frog Bog Dedication

We sure got a soaking rain today during our Frog Bog dedication. It was needed so I'm not complaining. It was nice to see some of the original people who developed the idea and really got the ball rolling on the plan. Without them, we would be missing out on many real life learning experiences. I love looking at the plants as they grow and change. As I walk up to the pier, I am always in awe of the bullfrog giving one last loud croak before it falls silent because it hears me coming. I am looking forward to watching the Frog Bog through the seasonal changes and the growth that is life. What is your favorite thing about the Frog Bog?

5th Grade and 1st Grade Join Up

This morning Mrs. Barber's morning class and Mrs. Marx's class cooperated in preparing a new tray for the worms. (There are so many...they require lots to eat.) Mrs. Barber's afternoon class will prepare the last tray at the end of the week. After our Frog Bog dedication program 1st grade and 5th grade will cooperatively put the composted waste in the Frog Bog flower beds to fertilize them. Cooperation is a great thing...and using our natural resources wisely is an awesome thing. How do you think the worms will feel being out in the Frog Bog finding food for themselves instead of having food given to them?

Wiggly Worms Multiply

Who would have know that worms would multiply so quickly. We must have done a really go job in our worm composter of giving the worms a favorable habitat because we have MORE babies. Friday afternoon, we read a story about a worm's life cycle and then set up the next level in the worm composting condominium. First, we collected leftover fruit and vegetable scraps and uneaten sandwich crusts at lunch. That the bottom layer. On top of it we put brown leaves we had collected from th e school yard. That is followed by a layer of damp shredded newspaper which we had used previously to collect the moisture from our Capri Sun pouches as they dried. The final layer is a few sheets of damp newspaper to help maintain the moisture that our worms like in their habitat. It was fun putting it together. Afterwards we went to visit the Frog Bog for a imprompt Friday afternoon fieldtrip. We found the blackberries were plentiful, but the tadpoles were hiding. Tree saplings were growing in the path, but it was dry enough that we could go all the way through. The Shasta daisies were beautiful and the turtle dock awaited a turtle. It was a most pleasant afternoon. Then to document our exploration, the students did pictures in the computer lab and wrote about their discoveries.

Rain Barrels

Did you know that rain water can be collected and used to water your plants or wash things outside? When rain water is used for such chores, it keeps it from running into the sewer and carrying pollutants into the local waterway. It is a first defense against water pollution. Mrs. Barber and Mrs. Marx took a class this weekend through Lynnhaven River NOW to build 2 rain barrels for Creeds ES. We'll be using the barrels to collect rain water to water the Frog Bog plants and the garden next year. This will save the schools' well water, too, for other uses. If you pay for city water it will save you money to pay for the water and to pay for the sewage of that water. It sounds like a win-win to me. Can you think of any other uses for rain water at school?

Collecting Ziploc Bags for Recycling

We are now collecting used Ziploc bags of all sizes for recycling through Terracycle. They will give us 2 cents each for everyone we send in to them. Just think how many bags we can keep from going to the dump. In addition, they will pay 2cents each for used Ziploc storage containers. So when you are ready to dispose of those containers, don't throw them out, send them to Creeds ES for recycling. They will be turning them into cool stuff with a second life. How many bags do you think we can collect before school is out for summer?

Frog Boggers at Work

The "Frog Boggers" have been busy the last few Thursdays watering, weeding, and topping off mulch in the Frog Bog. Except for the lack of rain drying things up a bit, the frog bog is looking good. It is a great place to explore nature. The tadpoles are getting bigger, though they still don't have any legs, they are easier to see. The plants are filling in nicely making everything look lush and green. And surprise, surprise...guess what showed up on the back side of the gardens...wild blackberry bushes with little white flowers. Soon those flowers will be little green berries with dreams of becoming plump, juicy blackberries. Leave it to nature to give you a surprise when you least expect it. What do you think we will discover next?

Capri Drink Pouches

Whew! I delivered 22.75 pounds of empty Capri Sun pouches to UPS to send to Terracycle for our first check. You know not only will be get money for those pouches, but we can be proud of ourselves for diverting that 22 pounds away from years at the landfill. Terracycle makes cool things by reusing the pouches. I got this bag made with 26 empty pouches at Wal-mart. It is reusable and washable, too. I picked the lemonade bag because it is blue and yellow like our school colors, but you can get one with other flavors. They also had purses made from M&M bags and Skittles bags. What would you like to see an empty Capri Sun pouch become?

Earth Day News and Writing

Check out the Earth Day Edition of the Creeds Indian Beacon to see student writing, conservation posters, Frog Bog pictures,and conservation activities that you can attend in the community in the future. Plus, Mr. Davenport explains the development of Earth Day 40 years ago. I love the poems and writing that the 1st and 5th grade students did about how to help save Earth.
Check it out and decide for yourself.

Happy 40th Earth Day!

What an extraordinary Earth Day. Everyone did an awesome job on their part in the school-wide program. I think we should make it an annual event...coming together to share our conservation ideas on Earth Day. I felt really inspired by everyone's enthusiasum. You know students were pointing out litter on the bus ramp and during walk-and-talk behind the cafeteria. What did you find most inspiring about the Earth Day activities you participated in today? Did you go all day without using paper? Did you go see the Frog Bog? Remember posters and writing can be turned into Mrs. Marx until Friday afternoon at 3:00pm.

Are You Ready for Earth Day?

I'm excited and I hope you are. Tomorrow is the BIG day. Creeds ES will be celebrating the anniversary of the 40th Earth Day by going paperless. We have been rehearsing for our parts in the school-wide performance, too. There will be skits, songs, poems, raps, slideshows, and readers' theather presentations. I just know it is going to be wonderful. Dr. Howell is even going to read a special book about children taking care of the earth. There is a poster contest, too. And all the student writing about making a difference to keep the earth healthy and green are simply awesome! Creeds' students really know a thing or two about conservation. What is the one thing that you think everyone could and should do to protect our natural resources?

Frog Boggers

The 5th Grade Frog Boggers met for the first time Thursday and cleaned the Capri Sun Pouches. Some additional fifth grade helpers finished up the job on Friday. Mrs. Barber and Mrs. Clifton rubberbanded them together in groups of 25 for counting. When Mrs. Barber and I finished counting Friday afternoon, we were both impressed with the amount of trash we had diverted from the dump. How impressed are you with the final count of 2230 Capri Sun Pouches for our first shipment to terracycle? Can you figure out how much money that earns at 2 cents a piece? Keep sending in those empty Capri Sun Pouches, they are really adding up.

Spring Strikes Again!

The Frog Bog has tadpoles. If you would like to see them, as of today, they were located to the left of the pier's end. Remember they are part of our outdoor learning environment, which means you should definitely look, but DON'T TOUCH. Who knows how long it will be until they are frogs hopping around the bog? Oh, be on the look out the the turtle with the pink scale on its shell. Is spring fun? Having an outdoor classroom makes it all the more fun. I'll see you out there.

Birth Announcement

Yes, spring is the time for the birth of many babies...including lots of little baby worms. The worms in the composter in room 104 were busy doing more than composting over spring break. This morning I discovered many tiny little worms no longer than the width of a pencil eraser and no thicker than a piece of thread. Hopefully by next week, they will be big enough to show everyone. I guess that means they are happy in their new home. What baby animals have you found so far this spring?

Earth Day

Earth Day is Thursday, April 22nd. It is the 40th Anniversary of the Earth Day celebration. At Creeds Elementary, we will be going paperless for the day. In addition, we will have a program with presentations from each grade level that day. Also, to celebrate, we will be having a poster contest whereby students can create a conservation slogan and display it on paper 8.5 x 11 to 12 x 18. Winning posters for each grade level will be displayed on the morning announcements and on this blog. It is a good time to take a look at the newly created Frog Bog to see what nature has to offer. Mrs. Barber has even added a turtle recently. See if you can find it. What will you be doing to celebrate Earth Day?

A Soaking Rain

With the soaking rain this week, the Frog Bog is overflowing and turning green. Taka a close look and you will see leaf buds on the trees and flower blooms on the perennials. With a little sun later this week, we should see big changes. Take a look when you get a chance and let me know what you find.

Frog Bog Under Construction

Did you hear about all the volunteers helping to plant trees, shrubs, and flowering plants around the Frog Bog on Thursday? Construction went quickly with so many knowledgable helping hands. The deciduous trees are planted behind the school, near the cafeteria, and around the Frog Bog. The flowering plants will add some pretty colors and attract butterflies behind the south parking lot. There are frogs and dragonflies living near the pond all ready. Maybe we'll see some turtles and lizards there soon, too. Be sure to take a look around and let me know what you think. I just keep thinking it is going to be TOTALLY AWESOME next month for Earth Day when everything is settled in and blooming.

Preschool Conservationists

It is a wonderful thing to know that we are training preschoolers in our community to conserve natural resources by reducing, recycling, and reusing. To them it is just plain fun, but they carried away with them a knowledge of what to recycle and compost, how to conserve energy, and a beautiful picture reminding them to "Keep Earth Green". The preschoolers participated in an energy conservation obsticle course where they turned off lights, hung clothes to dry, and filled the dishwasher before turning it on. They helped to sort a pile of trash into things that could be recycled, composted, and trashed. We were pleased to see that the recycle bin was fuller than the trash can. And they used scraps donated by a framing business to create art work. On top of all of this, they received a copy of "Michael Recycle and Litterbug Doug." Give it some thought, preschoolers are the future. If they can conserve resources, can you?

Worms at Work in Room 104

Our worms arrived this week and we fixed them up in a luxurious vermicomposter. The first graders in room 104 are excited about the worms and very curious. They want to see what the little guys are doing, but we can't look at them everyday because they have work to do. We are going to use the results of their efforts on our garden to make the plants grow better. And I hear we can use the worm tea to protect our plants from bugs. This will be a great experience for the students in room 104. Then they can be the vermicomposter ambassadors for the rest of Creeds. Did you know worms played such an important role in the garden?

Remember The Lorax

On this Dr. Seuss's birthday anniversary, remember the Lorax. He stood for the truffula trees and the importance they played in their habitat. Dr. Suess was a visionary ahead of his time. Remember Dr. Seuss's messege: "The word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." To keep earth healthy and sustainable, we all need to pitch in and help by reducing, reusing, and recycling. Would you help the Lorax, if he asked you?

Little Steps Add Up

I was just noticing that the more little steps I take in the name of conservation, the more I notice what others are also doing for the planet. Dominion power is running commercials pitching the benefits of renewable resources like wind power. Campbells Soup can labels tote reminders to recycle the can and notify customers that the label is made of 75% recycle materials. Sam's Club receipts are printed on both sides of the paper so less paper is used. Creeds Preschool Pow Wow is focusing on conservation for its next meeting for the younger generation. The VBCPS "On Your Mark" blog spent the last week commenting on energy conservation in the schools and ways to take it home. I am glad that I am now noticing others' efforts as well as my own. It gives me new ideas and hope that the messege is getting out to the public. What steps for conservation are you noticing in your daily lives?

Composting

This spring we will start composting cafeteria waste in an outside spinning composter. I am looking forward to it. As a matter of fact, I am so excited that I bought myself a home composter to try composting kitchen waste at home. It is made of 100% recycled plastic, so it is keeping plastics that were once used from being sent to the dump, but it will help me to keep kitchen waste from going in my trash can, too. Another benefit will be the fresh compost for my garden. I am excited about my new Sam's club purchase. What do you think about composting?

Water Conservation Pictures

It is that time of year again. Mrs. Dawson is at it once more. In art class, the students in all grade levels are creating pictures to spread the word about saving water. The children have done a wonderful job with this task in the past. The best pictures at Creeds are sent on to compete with pictures from elementary schools all over the city. We might be a small school, but we usually have a good turnout in the city-wide water conservation calendar created every year. Last year was phenomenal with multiply pictures in the 12-month calendar and many more receiving honorable mentions. I wonder how we will do this year. Do you have a cool slogan for a water conservation?

Less Trash

Mrs. Marx's 1st grade class made stone soup today as a final celebration of Reading Month. To try to cut back on the amount of trash thrown away, paper plates were used for sandwiches and placed in the recycle bin; Capri Sun Pouches were used and collected for TerraCycle to upcycle; and white paper napkins were used and placed in the classroom compost bin. We all felt badly that we still had to throw away bowls and spoons that were not recyclable. Maybe next time we can use real bowls and spoons that can be placed in a dishwasher. Let me know if you find a good deals on some dishes and utensils.

School Recycling Rankings

Did you hear? Creeds Elementary School ranked 4th city-wide for recycling. In November, we recycled 4,757.73 pounds of recyclable materials. As amazing as it may seem, add to that knowledge the fact that we are such a small school and I think it makes our 4th place ranking amazing. Way to go, Creeds! Keep up the GREEN DREAM!

Inspired Conservation

Through all of the talk about conservation in our 1st grade classroom, Judy was inspired to make a poster about it. This was something that she decided to do on her own...not for a grade or extra credit, but because saving Earth means something important to her. She is "simply the best" and "ahead of the curve". One of the activities we will be doing for Earth Day this spring is a poster contest. Start giving your poster some thought. What will it say? What will it show? What is worth conserving for you? Conservation will impact future generations more than ever.

Frozen Frog Bog

Have you seen the Frog Bog lately? It has frozen over with the prolonged cold spell. I wonder if the frogs have burrowed down in the mud at the bottom like in our book of winter animal behaviors. What do you think? I think the ice looks neat, but remember not to play on it because frozen ponds, lakes, and frog bogs aren't frozen enough to support your weight. Stay safe and enjoy.

E-Cycling Event

A picture is worth a thousand words they say. This picture shows a mound of old computer parts. Do you really want them to waste away in a landfill, when they could be recycled into useful materials. If you have old computer components, small tvs, stereo equipment, or game systems, take them to the Virginia Aquarium Saturday, January 23rd from 10-2. They will be collecting in the East Parking Lot off General Booth Blvd. In addition, you can learn other ways to go green at the e-cycling event. Clean out a space and make it a date. It is a new year: "out with the old and in with the new."

Saving the Earth ONE PEN at a Time

Yes! We are now registered to collect for recycling PaperMate, Expo, and Sharpie writing instruments. We will earn 2 cents for each one to be used to purchase something earth-friendly for the school. I am really excited about this one because everyone uses pens, markers, and highlighters and there is NO CLEAN-UP needed. So tell your family, friends, and neighbors to send in their used PaperMate, Expo, and Sharpie writing instruments. We are going green and earning green. Which collection brigade do you think will earn the most by June?