Sarah Delandre - French Curriculum Coordinator
Our teachers have decided to educate our students on sustainable development. In
October our teachers paired students by classes: younger students with older students (PK students with second graders, K students with 1st and 5th graders, 2nd graders with 4th graders, preschoolers with 3rd graders…). Under the close supervision of our teachers, each pair picked-up garbage in the parking lot and on the trail between the school and the field where students have their PE lessons.
All the students happily participated in the activity and felt empowered and inspired to have a positive impact on their school, on their environment, and even on their planet. Older students felt responsible for the younger ones and demonstrated independence and real leadership qualities. Students of all ages found out that there is unfortunately a lot of garbage on the public path that leads to the PE field.
With gloves, our students picked up the garbage, looked at it, sorted it ,and analyzed it. They discovered with astonishment how many items were thrown out and left outside. They understood why it is problematic to have so much garbage lying around on a natural trail. They came up with two conclusions: It is detrimental for the fauna and the flora. The wild animals are often eating the garbage, and it impacts their health. The natural environment and the flora is damaged by the waste that cannot decompose and stays around for years.
The students realized that it is everyone’s responsibility to keep our planet green and clean. Having a clean environment starts with them, with their small, individual daily positive actions. They demonstrate sustainability in their daily actions, and when they don’t, their teachers use this experience to remind them of the importance of being good eco-citizens. More than ever, our students are open to these reminders and are happily acting on them because they have witnessed first-hand the negative consequences of an irresponsible attitude towards their environment.