Award
Two BCPS elementary schools take $3,000 grand prizes in county’s 2016 Clean Green 15 program
TOWSON, MD – That old saying – the one about “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure" – was never more appropriate than at Reisterstown Elementary School at the third Team BCPS Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge award ceremony on May 11.
Reisterstown and Grange elementary schools walked away with dual $3,000 grand prize grants in this year’s Clean Green awards event, the result of both schools excelling in the countywide anti-litter program.
Led by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools Executive Director Debbie Phelps, the ceremony honored Reisterstown for marshalling the most volunteers to help clean up the school and community during the year – 1,350 – while Grange was cited for collecting the most trash – 23,174 pounds since last fall.
“We’re delighted to see the enthusiasm for the Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge growing," Kamenetz said, “with 25 percent more clean-ups logged this year than last and 67 percent more volunteers recorded."
Countywide, 28 schools or their community partners conducted 406 clean-ups of 15 minutes or more with 5,602 volunteer helpers.
During this week’s awards ceremony, Reisterstown’s students cheered as their winning clean-up activities were celebrated by County Executive Kamenetz, BCPS Assistant Superintendents Dr. Monique Wheatley-Phillip and Heidi Miller, County Council Chair Vicki Almond, and a variety of dignitaries and sponsors.
First and second places in the challenge took home grants of $2,000 and $1,500 respectively, while another six “honorable mention" schools received iPads. On the elementary school level, Westowne Elementary took first place followed by last year’s grand prize winner, Bear Creek Elementary, in second place. For middle schools, Holabird and Dundalk middle schools took first and second, respectively. And among high schools, Western School of Technology was the first place award winner, followed by Sparrows Point High School.
Schools winning iPads were Colgate, Chapel Hill, Vincent Farm, and Stoneleigh elementary school, Stemmers Run Middle, and Catonsville High School.
All of the cash grants from the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools will go toward funding school-based instructional projects emphasizing the theme of environmental literacy.
In addition, county officials also pledged to donate a tree for future planting to each school that participated in this year’s Clean Green campaign.
The collaborative program by the Office of County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools, the Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability, and BCPS was sponsored by BGE, Maryland Environmental Service, and Tradepoint Atlantic.
The 2017 Team BCPS Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge began May 1, 2016, and will run through April 30, 2017. For more information or to record a clean-up activity, go to https://www.bcps.org/teamBCPS/cleanGreen15/. To see photographs from the awards ceremony, visit the BCPS Flickr website:
TOWSON, MD – That old saying – the one about “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure" – was never more appropriate than at Reisterstown Elementary School at the third Team BCPS Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge award ceremony on May 11.
Reisterstown and Grange elementary schools walked away with dual $3,000 grand prize grants in this year’s Clean Green awards event, the result of both schools excelling in the countywide anti-litter program.
Led by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools Executive Director Debbie Phelps, the ceremony honored Reisterstown for marshalling the most volunteers to help clean up the school and community during the year – 1,350 – while Grange was cited for collecting the most trash – 23,174 pounds since last fall.
“We’re delighted to see the enthusiasm for the Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge growing," Kamenetz said, “with 25 percent more clean-ups logged this year than last and 67 percent more volunteers recorded."
Countywide, 28 schools or their community partners conducted 406 clean-ups of 15 minutes or more with 5,602 volunteer helpers.
During this week’s awards ceremony, Reisterstown’s students cheered as their winning clean-up activities were celebrated by County Executive Kamenetz, BCPS Assistant Superintendents Dr. Monique Wheatley-Phillip and Heidi Miller, County Council Chair Vicki Almond, and a variety of dignitaries and sponsors.
First and second places in the challenge took home grants of $2,000 and $1,500 respectively, while another six “honorable mention" schools received iPads. On the elementary school level, Westowne Elementary took first place followed by last year’s grand prize winner, Bear Creek Elementary, in second place. For middle schools, Holabird and Dundalk middle schools took first and second, respectively. And among high schools, Western School of Technology was the first place award winner, followed by Sparrows Point High School.
Schools winning iPads were Colgate, Chapel Hill, Vincent Farm, and Stoneleigh elementary school, Stemmers Run Middle, and Catonsville High School.
All of the cash grants from the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools will go toward funding school-based instructional projects emphasizing the theme of environmental literacy.
In addition, county officials also pledged to donate a tree for future planting to each school that participated in this year’s Clean Green campaign.
The collaborative program by the Office of County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools, the Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability, and BCPS was sponsored by BGE, Maryland Environmental Service, and Tradepoint Atlantic.
The 2017 Team BCPS Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge began May 1, 2016, and will run through April 30, 2017. For more information or to record a clean-up activity, go to https://www.bcps.org/teamBCPS/cleanGreen15/. To see photographs from the awards ceremony, visit the BCPS Flickr website:
Community Partnerships
Maryland Delegate Lafferty Visits the 5th Grade
http://msa.maryland.gov/msa
Delegate Lafferty's visited Stoneleigh, 2014.
Delegate Stephen Lafferty visited the Stoneleigh Elementary 5th graders on June 3, 2014, to discuss some green initiatives taking place in Maryland and our community. As a supplement to their social studies curriculum, the fifth grade took a tour of state capital of Annapolis, which related to their social studies units (13 Colonies, Revolution, and the New Government) Delegate Lafferty was able to tie the two ideas together. He was able to walk the 5th graders through a few “Green Bills” that had been discussed or have been debated recently and go through the entire process from idea to bill to law dealing with the political process, road bumps along the way for the prospective law, what happens in debates, the voting process, and anything else related on a very basic level. The three ideas that were discussed and debated in class with the fifth graders were the following:
- energy efficient light bulbs
- chemical salt for road ways for ice and snow
- plastic retail and grocery bags
Community Association/Master Gardner
http://www.fit2order.com/
Fit2Order came to Stoneleigh for a Family Fitness Night in 2012.
Three of our community association: Stoneleigh, Idelwild,and Anneslie joined a Master Gardner to work with Stoneleigh Green Club in our spring of 2016 stream clean-up. We all worked to remove invasive plants in the area.
Maryland Daffodill Society
www.greenschoolproject.com
Each fall since 2009 the MDS (The Maryland Daffodil Society) joins a Stoneleigh first grade class to teach them about bulbs. The students learn how to grow bulbs and are given their own sets of bulbs to plant. In the spring first grade students join the Maryland Daffodil Society for a special class on flower arrangement. The students then worked on an arrangement. The arrangements are placed in the MDS spring show. Some of the students participate in the show by entering their daffodil for judging.
Stream Clean-up Partner
Stream Clean-up 2016
Stoneleigh partnered with Blue Water Baltimore in a spring of 2016 in a Stream Clean-up. They brought in a big truck to get the larger trash out of the stream. They moved out a wheel chair, large piece of concrete, and 2 shopping carts.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Explore and Restore Maryland Streams Program and Presenters
Irvine Nature Center
Echo Explorers Club:
Partnering with Irvin Nature Center to present an after school club. . They feature an Irvine Naturalist leading one of eight entertaining, informative and hands-on programs covering the following topics:
Partnering with Irvin Nature Center to present an after school club. . They feature an Irvine Naturalist leading one of eight entertaining, informative and hands-on programs covering the following topics:
- All About Animals
- Animal Super Heroes
- Taking Care of the Earth
- Survival of the Fittest
- Chesapeake Connections
- Maryland’s Native Americans
- Earth R
Stoneleigh Green School Committee
Members of Stoneleigh's Green Team
The Green School committee includes administration and representatives from each grade level at our school. Over the years, we have had parent members as well to represent and include community input. The committee meets several times throughout each year to discuss new ideas and suggestions for environmental initiatives and programs to incorporate into daily instruction. Each representative acts as a liaison to bring information and updates to their individual grade levels, as well as ideas back to the committee for fundraisers, celebrations, etc.
Stoneleigh PTA
The Stoneleigh PTA has worked with the Green School Committee over the past four years with green initiatives, as well as with programs and celebrations. This partnership is another example of the strong relationship that has been established within our schoolhouse. The PTA has funded assemblies, brought ideas to and from the Green School committee, and provided overall support for Stoneleigh's green initiatives.