Modeling desirable behavior is an effective teaching method. Philosophically, we “practice what we preach.”
The school district has long taught environmental science and sustainability. Further, our district has won numerous awards for sustainable facility work that included geothermal and solar over a decade ago. Our architects and facilities staff have authored trade articles sharing tips about our methods to improve air quality, reduce use of toxic cleaning products and pesticides, and reduce plastic water bottle waste by installing filtered water fountains.
Lessons in the classroom become more effective when they encourage participation by local organizations. Textiles drives and collection boxes that allowed families to keep textiles out of the landfills were a great start.
Ultimately, since our schools are the neighborhood hub, we knew that inspiring and involving the larger community would also have the greatest environmental impact. Carolyn McGrath at CHS got the ball rolling with a contest for teachers, judged by students, that encouraged green practices.
The HVRSD Green Team sponsored Ecowarrior student recognition in all district schools. The district is also partnering with our food service provider, Pomptonian, to reduce straw usage to improve the health of our oceans and save the sea turtles.
Finally, several principals are initiating projects that engage local businesses, nonprofits and community members. Bear Tavern Principal Chris Turnbull explains further:
At Bear Tavern, we are very excited to officially break ground on our Outdoor Learning Space and Beartanical Garden. We aspire to create a place where teachers and students have flexible options to learn, explore, collaborate, and interact in an outdoor environment.
The Outdoor Learning Space and Beartanical Garden’s design consists of six unique areas that include a pond and wetland environment, a monarch meadow, which as been certified as a monarch butterfly waystation, a science and nature observation learning center, a structured classroom area, a performing arts area, and a garden area.
The design is sustainable and created with limited maintenance in mind. It will be built to nurture creativity and provide an interactive, multisensory approach to learning.
While this will be a long-term project that will take 3-5 years to complete, the most exciting part of the process has been the community relationships upon which it is built.
From the initial design phases, our Bear Tavern committee has partnered with Nectars Landscaping to design and plan for a unique and extraordinary space. Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space has provided ecological and educational recommendations, and is administering a generous grant from Janssen Pharmaceuticals for our monarch meadow.
We are thrilled to be breaking ground on our pond and wetland area and monarch meadow in the next few weeks with 100 percent of funding coming through partnerships that also include the Bear Tavern PTO, the Hopewell Valley Education Foundation, and The College of New Jersey.
As a school district, we are fortunate to have such an active community sharing so much knowledge, interest, and resources. Our school mission is to take learning beyond our walls and connect students with the world around them.
Whether we use books, technology, or, in this case, nature, it is critical that students are able to put their learning in a context that includes the local and global community. Creating active community partnerships is an important way to support our projects while incorporating neighborhood participation that provides a front row seat into student activities.
The history of our school and community also plays a tremendous role in our project. It will be located on the site of the “Beartanical Garden” that was PTO-created and operated many years ago, but showcased the importance of community and of growing and gardening for our students. We are grateful for all of the support that we have received and look forward to creating new partnerships and enriching our current ones.
For more information about the project or to support it, go to facebook.com/BearTavernOutdoorLearningCenter or contact Christopher Turnbull at christopherturnbull@hvrsd.org.
Lisa Wolff is vice president of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District Board of Education.
Christopher Turnbull is principal of Bear Tavern Elementary School.
from the schools,
