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Green Initiatives at Stepping Stones Montessori School
Following the four pillars of “The Little Green Schoolhouse” proposed by the Green Schools Initiative (www.greenschools.net), Stepping Stones Montessori School has implemented many green and sustainable initiatives since its inception in 2001. We are continually thinking of ways in which we can better our relationship with the earth and our environment and how we can use these opportunities as teachable moments for our children.
Pillar 1: Strive to Be Toxics Free
Children’s Environmental Health
We have earned “Eco-Healthy Child Care Certification.”
A special water filtration system ensures healthy water to drink for our students and staff.
No mercury thermometers are used.
No Pesticides, Lead, Mold
No pesticides or herbicides are used inside our school building or outside on the school grounds.
The building was erected in 2001, so we have no issues with lead paint or plumbing.
Green Building and Cleaning Materials
We use eco-friendly cleaners, and we avoid regular use of cleaning products containing chlorine bleach.
Avoid Sitting on Toxic Land
Our campus is situated in a rural area, with fields, forests, and a pond nearby.
Pillar 2: Use Resources Sustainably
Energy Efficiency and Alternatives
We have monitor heaters with digital settings that are turned down to 58 degrees at night in the winter.
For cooling on hot days, we mainly use ceiling fans, and have very minimal usage of air conditioning window units (usually just a few days per year).
There is no cafeteria at our school…children bring their own lunches, so minimal energy is used for cooking/cleaning. We do some food heating in microwave ovens and generally one sink full of staff dishes per day.
Two of our classrooms have motion sensor lights.
Photocopiers, computers, and printers are turned off at night when not in use.
We do not use water for our lawn and gardens—we rely on natural rainfall only.
A full Energy Audit was done in 2008 by Edwin Cousins from the Maine State Department of Environmental Protection. We have used the information from this audit to try to make changes in our daily use of energy.
In February 2009, we received a sizable grant from State Farm to install two windmills on our campus to supply our school building with electricity (click here for more information on our Windmill Project).
We are looking into becoming members of the Green Schools Alliance. The Green Schools Alliance works with and through schools across the country to take action on climate change and the environment. Member schools sign a pledge and make a commitment to calculating the schools carbon footprint by establishing an energy and carbon emissions baseline and works towards lessening the school’s carbon footprint. As of January 2009, there was only one member school in the state of Maine.
Green Building Design
We incorporated many windows into our building design to maximize natural light and minimize the use of artificial light.
Environmentally Sound School Supplies
Non-toxic art supplies are used in our classrooms and art programs.
Some of our office products/school supplies are made of recycled material (file folders, message pads, some of the printer paper). We are looking for a good source of 100% Post Consumer Waste recycled copy paper.
We are looking toward buying more recycled toilet paper, napkins, paper plates, tissues, paper towels, etc.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The Upper Elementary students began a school Recycling Program in 2006. Children learn how to identify recyclable products, why the school should recycle, and where to place recyclable items at school. We currently recycle mixed paper, plastic, metal, glass, and cardboard, with marked receptacles in each classroom.
We celebrate Maine Recycles Week each November.
With assistance from our parent organization, POSSE, we encourage the recycling of printer cartridges and cell phones to avoid having these products enter the waste stream and to earn money for our school. To this end, we take part in both the Green School Project and the Staples Recycle for Education programs.
Prior to making any new purchases for our school building and classrooms, we solicit parents for gently used furniture, bookshelves, playground materials, etc., both as a money-saving strategy and to lessen our impact on the environment buy reusing materials/items when possible.
We use no paper cups (except for at special functions)—all children must have their own reusable water bottles at school.
When possible, we try to photocopy on both sides of the paper.
For enrollment inquiries, we have phased out our system of mailing information packets to prospective families (except for those who do not have access to the internet). We now instruct new families to view all of our enrollment information on our new website (redesigned in February 2009). This lessens the use of paper and envelopes and the need for transportation of paper mail.
In 2006, in order to reduce the number of paper notices that were being sent home in children’s backpacks, we began a system of emailing Parent Notices twice per month. We now post our Parent Notices on our website as well.
Pillar 3: Create a Green, Healthy Space
Green Schoolyards and Gardens
We make wonderful use of our natural campus resources for healthy in-school and after-school activities—the school pond for winter time ice skating and year-round art and science projects and the school yard and surrounding fields and woods for winter time cross country skiing and snowshoeing.
We have six goats on our campus. The older children help with their care, and the younger children visit and play with them during recess. Children learn in a hands-on way how people in developing countries rely on livestock and how this can be done in harmony with the surrounding environment.
Our family parking lot is located a distance away from the school building, so there are fewer fumes near our front entryway from families’ cars during arrival and dismissal.
Four out of our ten staff members live within 2 miles of the school, which means less commuting miles and lowers our carbon footprint in terms daily fuel emissions from staff cars.
We plan to install composting bins for fruit/vegetable waste and coffee grounds.
Many, varied after-school activities are provided right on our campus to promote less driving around town for parents and fewer fuel emissions (e.g., drama club, karate, geography club, Odyssey of the Mind, ice skating, cross-country skiing, etc.)
Rethink School Lunch
We do not serve lunch at the school—children bring their own lunches daily, packed by their parents.
We do have a snack program in the Primary classroom, where families share the responsibility of providing daily snack to the children over the course of the year. We ask that families provide healthy snacks for the children to choose from, and provide parents with an extensive list of healthy snack possibilities.
No Junk Food, Fast Food, or Soda
We have no vending machines at the school, so children do not have the opportunity to purchase junk food or soda—children bring their own lunches daily, packed by their parents.
We do not serve soda at school functions such as classroom parties or family events.
Farm-to-School Organic Produce
We have plans to implement a vegetable garden and show children how to grow food (such as carrots, popcorn, broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins) we can use at school for snacks.
Some families sell their own organic produce or chicken eggs to other interested school families.
Pillar 4: Teach, Learn, Engage
Environmental Education
All our Upper Elementary students attended a workshop on “Electricity and the Environment” at the Pine Tree State Arboretum in October 2008, where they learned about wind, solar and other alternative energy sources.
The Lower Elementary students went on a “Tadpole Patrol” Field Trip with the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed in June 2008, where they learned about watersheds, the ecosystem of a pond, and the impact of humans on watersheds.
In the past (September 2005, 2006), we have taken field trips to the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) Common Ground Country Fair.
Hands-on, Place-Based Learning
Our Windmill Project, made possible by a grant from State Farm, will allow our students opportunities to monitor energy use, make presentations to local groups about wind power, write a wind energy bill for the legislature, etc. (click here for more information on our Windmill Project).
Our science curriculum involves students in observing nature, completing hands-on experiments, and using our campus pond for science activities.
Some of our art projects use recycled materials (collages, sculptures, etc.).
Involve Children in Greening Their Schools
“Recycle Robot” visits the classrooms each year during Maine Recycles Week in November to educate the students about which items go in the trash and which items go in the recycle bins at school.
Since 2006, some of our students have participated in the Maine Recycles Week poster contest sponsored by the Maine State Planning Office (Waste Management & Recycling Program).
Fifth grader Tessa was one of 13 winners of the Maine Recycles Week poster contest out of over 1900 entries in the entire state—her poster, “Recyclables Still Have Life”
(a watercolor still life) is featured in the 2009 Maine Recycles calendar.
Our “Windmill Project” is all about the children helping to green their school!
(click here for more information on our Windmill Project).
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