(from Ontario Eco Schools)“Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental education and certification program for grades K-12 that helps school communities develop both ecological literacy and environmental practices to become environmentally responsible citizens and reduce the ecological footprint of schools.

It consists of four components:

The leaf within each figure symbolizes thinking and acting with the environment in mind. It also visually connects the four areas, a reminder that – as ecology teaches us – everything is connected to everything else.

Certification recognizes a school for its annual achievement in the 4 key areas above. Schools set goals to increase the types of environmental activities in each category and can certify with bronze, silver or gold EcoSchool status depending on how successfully the school has met the requirements of the program based on a points system.”

Gold EcoSchool Status

KEN DANBY P.S. is a Gold Ecoschool!

About Ontario EcoSchools

(from ontarioecoschools.org)“Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental education and certification program for grades K-12 that helps school communities develop both ecological literacy and environmental practices to become environmentally responsible citizens and reduce the ecological footprint of schools.

It consists of four components:

ECOLOGICAL
LITERACYWASTE
MINIMIZATIONENERGY
CONSERVATIONSCHOOL GROUND
GREENING

The leaf within each figure symbolizes thinking and acting with the environment in mind. It also visually connects the four areas, a reminder that – as ecology teaches us – everything is connected to everything else.

The Certification Process

Certification recognizes a school for its annual achievement in the 4 key areas above. Schools set goals to increase the types of environmental activities in each category and can certify with bronze, silver or gold EcoSchool status depending on how successfully the school has met the requirements of the program based on a points system.”

Environmental Activities at Ken Danby P.S.

Classroom level:

• Integration of Environmental Education in many areas of the curriculum

• Increase the number of Outdoor Education Fieldtrips and walking trips

• Create Green jobs for students

  • Light monitors

  • Recycling bin monitors

  • Goos paper (good on one side paper) monitors

School Level:

• A school Green Team that takes on fun, school-wide activities

• Monthly Environmental/Character Education themes

• Weekly environmental announcements

• Recycling of cardboard, paper and containers

• Litterless lunches promotion

• Goos paper bins in every classroom

• Promote reusable water bottles

• Environmental Education assemblies

• Waste Audit week

• Earth Hour participation

• Earth Day activities

• Turn off all lights, monitors etc. when leaving an empty room

• Always photocopy double sided

• Goos paper bin as well as recycling bin next to every photocopier

• Put photo copiers on ‘energy saver’ at the end of the day

• Recycle toner cartridges

• Paperless staff communication by email – don’t print it!

• Paperless school newsletter by email and on website

• Monthly newsletter inserts to communicate environmental education to parents and the community