Three schools in the Bluewater District School Board have received Ontario EcoSchools Certification.
Bruce Peninsula District School in Lion’s Head has achieved Gold certification, while Macphail Memorial Elementary School in Flesherton and Sydenham Community School in Owen Sound have both been certified at the Silver level.
Students are encouraged to become environmental ambassadors by reducing the ecological impact of their schools, and building environmentally responsible school communities.
Bruce Peninsula District School’s EcoSchools club is made up of both secondary and elementary students. Grade 4/5 students managed the school’s recycling, while the Grade 1 class gathered compost material daily for the school gardens. Monthly assemblies were also held in each grade to offer ideas and provide the students with a global environmental perspective.
As a UNESCO school (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), students are regularly educated on global issues and demonstrate environmental stewardship by performing energy and waste audits.
As part of its Me to We initiatives, Macphail Memorial Elementary School also ran an EcoSchools club, which performed energy and waste audits around the school. Environmental stewardship activities included a community garden, Earth Week activities, and a battery drive.
A number of curriculum connections have been established through learning about watersheds, visits to the Bluewater Outdoor Education Centre, seed and flower planting, and exploring ways to keep our oceans clean.
Students at Sydenham Community School helped organize waste free lunch days, Wear a Sweater Day, and activities for Earth Week. They also planted pollinator flowers, viewed media with environmental messages, and participated in discussions on water and energy conservation.
There are now over 1,800 certified schools in Ontario.