GORE BAY—Charles C. McLean Public School is taking further steps to support the environment, having initiated a composting program on Earth Day, April 22.
“So many little things can make a difference to help the environment, and when you are able to get young people involved it is such a benefit—someone has to care for the future. And once these students see the direct benefits they are making, and what they have produced, they will realize what they did really did make a difference,” stated Christa Flood, ELK-Grade 1 teacher at C.C. McLean after a ribbon cutting ceremony that took place last Friday for the unveiling of a new composter at the school.
Ms. Flood noted that C.C. McLean and other schools within the Rainbow District School Board (RDSB) have environmental contacts and programs this year with the RDSB. “We are taking part in initiatives every month to participate in, such as turn off all school lights for the day, bring in your own water bottles, and bringing lunches in reusable packages.”
“We have been looking at having a composter at the school for a number of years,” said Ms. Flood. She explained that Grade 3 students will be collecting the compost from all classes in the school. They will bring, bag, sort and add grass and material into the composter. And before the end of the year the compost soil will be placed on the garden beds (in the schoolyard) the ELK class set up. “The students are real keeners; they are a great bunch of kids.”
It was school secretary Dayle Wright who found the new composter in the Home Hardware store. “Dayle is fantastic at finding things we need at the school, and the composter was purchased locally, which is also a benefit,” said Ms. Flood.
This week, “our compost captains will watch a video on how to correctly compost, and then posters of what can go into the compost bin, and containers will be put in every class to be picked up every day by the students,” explained Ms. Flood.
On Earth Day C.C. McLean also participated in #Rooting4Trees with Earth Day Canada, an international initiative to grow a global forest. All students were encouraged to bring one dollar to help cover the cost of a tree that will be planted in the schoolyard in May. Classes also watched an Earth Canada video pertaining to forestation.
