Tabernacle school district’s elementary and middle schools earn recognition for their commitment to the environment.
Kermit the Frog was right. It’s really not easy being green. That is, of course, if you’re referring to Sustainable Jersey for Schools’ requirements to be certified as a green school.
Both of the Tabernacle school district’s buildings, Tabernacle Elementary School and Kenneth R. Olson Middle School, have earned such a certification from the group. The middle school earned the bronze certification, while the elementary school earned the even more prestigious silver certification. Only 13 schools in New Jersey have earned the silver certification.
Sustainable Jersey for Schools has a list of actions, listed on its website sustainablejerseyschools.com, schools must take to achieve certification status. Each action is worth a variety of points. If a school earns 150 points, it earns a bronze certification. If a school earns 350 points, it earns a silver certification.
Examples of actions schools can take include making students complete projects on biodiversity, retrofitting school facilities with green infrastructure — such as rain gardens, bioswales and rain barrels — to capture and treat stormwater runoff, and holding pedestrian and bicycle safety education programs or walk and bike to school events.
One of the specific actions Tabernacle Elementary students did, according to art teacher Jane Francis who doubles as the district’s Green Team leader, was complete art projects such as collages and sculptures utilizing recycled materials such as toothpaste containers and toilet paper rolls.
“Our primary focus is to teach the whole child,” Tabernacle Elementary School Principal Gerald Paterson said. “There are certain things that your academics matter, however, we want our students to have an empathetic approach to their community and save their communities so that future generations can have the same benefits.”
“As students and teachers head back to school this year, they will learn the good news that their hard work has paid off,” said Randall Solomon, executive director of Sustainable Jersey. “Becoming certified with Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a significant achievement for schools and their school district. The number of schools participating in the program is truly remarkable.”
A total of 679 schools and 273 school districts are participating in the program.
More than 2,700 sustainability actions were completed by schools and districts participating in the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program — from performing energy audits and boosting recycling efforts to integrating sustainability into student learning and promoting student and staff wellness.
