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34 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday November 2, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Falgarwood School takes on challenge to be eco-friendly By Kaitlin Moore and Kaitlin Mitterhuber GR. 6, FALGARWOOD F algarwood Public School is currently pursuing a three-year approach to become a certified Eco School. Last year, our school created an Eco Team, which was composed of the vice-principal, classroom teachers, students and the members of our School Council. An Environmental Club was created to enhance our commitment to this cause. Students of all grades were invited to join with a mission to provide continual information to staff and students about the upcoming events that would support the Eco School projects. The club initiated the promotion of litterless lunches, walk to school day, an anti-idling campaign and an enhanced recycling program. This full-scale recycling program will run throughout the year with the help of our Life Skills students, who are responsible for collecting recycling material from each class. Our teachers have reduced the use of paper within our school too. The mailings from school are being done through our Youngest Family Member Mailing Program. Both these initiatives have helped to reduce the use of paper overload on our environment. This year, our focus and vision will take us to the next level in becoming certified as an Eco School. We are keeping up with all the initiatives from last year and added new ones. In our computer lab, two Grade 6 students ensure that each computer at Falgarwood is shut down properly to help conserve energy. Our staff and students ensure that lights are turned off in rooms such as our labs and library when they are not in use. We are working with our headcaretaker to ensure that our school ventilation system is cleaned and running smoothly. Our greatest initiative for this year is our Eco Garden and we thank Budds of Oakville for donating $10,000 to help fulfill our vision of implementing this garden at the front of our school. In order to be considered an Eco garden, plants will be used that are indigenous to our area and attract butterflies and other birds. Our teachers will use this `outdoor classroom' as an educational tool for all our science classes as to the effect plants have on our environment and how delicate a relationship humans have with plants and insects. Students will be directly involved with the planting and maintaining of the garden during the school year. School Council (parent volunteers) will maintain it during the summer months. In the third year of our plan, our Eco Club will continue to promote environmental activities. Our school will also sign up to become a part of a toner and cartridge recycle program to further enhance our current recycling program. Falgarwood will then apply to become a certified Eco School. Falgarwood staff and students want to invite every school in Halton Region to register and do activities to help the environment. To date, there are only six schools in Halton that are Eco Friendly. Talk to your principal about starting this program in your school and help save our earth.