OCRRA Award Winners 2005
Meeting Minutes 3-27

In attendance:

Carolyn Messina-Yauchzy - GGI Advisor/Teacher:
Mountainsong129@msn.com

Jennifer Spoor - Syracuse City Go Green Coordinator:
echoeseye@rock.com


G-enerate Compost: Carolyn Messina-Yauchzy's forth grade classroom is
currently vermicomposting. On a weekly basis they observe their worms, and
how much food waste they have converted into nutrient-rich organic
fertilizer. In the past Carolyn has vermicomposted with kindergarten, 1st,
2nd and third graders. With the addition of "earthboxes" classrooms plan to
grow specific crops. In the past Solace Elementary has grown "3 sister's
gardens" (corn, beans and squash), "salsa gardens" and "pizza gardens"
fertilized by their classroom compost.

R-educe R-euse R-ecycle:  As a school policy Solace reduces waste by
promoting the use of water bottles, and allowing them in classrooms.
Students bring water bottles from home (or use OCRRA bottles, awarded to
them in 2005, or purchase water at the school for .50 cents) and fill up the
bottle daily.

The school has recycling bins in every classroom, and students are
encouraged to recycle. Upon adopting the Go Green Initiative, members of
Carolyn Messina-Yauchzy's classroom weighed and recorded their paper
diversion from the waste stream. Within a 2- week period students, faculty
and staff diverted 470lbs of paper from being thrown away!! Recycling is a
group effort at Solace. With the help of the 5th and 6th grade "big help
teams" students work with Custodians to collect recycling bins.

E-ducate: Students, Parents and Staff members are reminded of the importance
of recycling when they walk down their halls. Upon the walls of Solace
school are hung recycling fact-posters for all to see and learn from.

E-valuate the impact of everyday activities:
Students are learning about ecologic value of food waste -and are learning
to evaluate and reduce the impact of generated "waste." Students are also
recording the amount of paper waste diverted from the waste stream on a
bi-weekly basis.

N-ationalize the principles of responsible paper consumption:
Many classrooms within the Solace School re-use paper with the
one-side-clean status.

Keep up the good work !!