Earth Week Fun!

Students from the Environmental Cabinet of the Student Leadership Council at CHES planned, organized and carried out daily activities from Love Our Earth Week!

The theme this year was "Grow the Good".​  The fun included a poster art contest, potted flower gifts for the teachers (in recycled pots!), "flashlight 15" reading to save energy, litter cleanups around the school, and "dress like a plant" day! 

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Teacher facilitators are: Lorena Cavan and Sadie O'Connor​

Love Our Earth Week 2016

April 22, 2016 marks the 46th annual Earth Day, a global movement toward greener living, sustainability, and respect for nature.  Each year the CHES Student Environmental Cabinet, led by teacher sponsors Ms. Cavan and Ms. O'Connor, plan an entire week of fun activities for the whole school to celebrate Earth Day and learn environmental stewardship.  This year's activities include:

Monday, April 18th 

Love our Earth Week Art Contest for each grade level.  One winner per grade level will receive a prize.  Your teacher will provide you with a copy of the design due:  Wednesday, April 20 by 9:00am to Room 43.  (Teachers will be provided with a copy for each student)

GROW THE GOOD~ each student in every class will plant seeds to care for at school or at home.  During the first 10 minutes of recess on P.E. day, you are invited to the courtyard to plant seeds with your class.  All supplies will be out there for your students with directions.  Please enjoy the courtyard and the natural educational backdrop.  Please be respectful of the plants and landscape. 

 

Tuesday, April 19

 Everyone wear green and take a step towards going green!

Environmental Committee leaders will read “earth awareness” books to K-1 classes. 

Wednesday, April 20

Flashlight 15- students bring flashlights or reading lights.  During 15 minutes of “Drop Everything and Read”, turn off the lights to conserve energy, and use flashlights to read. 

Earth Day art contest due!

Special Gift for Faculty and Staff from the Environmental Cabinet!

  Thursday, April 21^st

School-wide clean up!  For the first 10 minutes of recess, please take your class to an outdoor area around our school and collect     trash.  Let’s SYNERGIZE and take pride in our school! (A trash bag    will be in your team leader’s mailbox)

Friday, April 22^nd

 Dress like a Plant!!!  Let’s see who can use their creativity and come up with a unique outfit!!!  Art Contest winners announced!

This week has been planned, organized and carried out with    by the Environmental Cabinet of the Student Leadership Council.  #growthegood

CHES Trailers - Transformed Into Learning Cottages!

Have you ever really noticed the eight classroom trailers at CHES?    Although a reality for many schools that have outgrown their school buildings, they are not usually considered a positive addition to the school landscape.  The PTA Green Committee set out to try and improve them, and make them more of an asset for the students and the school community.

In the Spring of 2015, the committee applied for and received a grant from Keep Virginia Beautiful to carry out this project.  The proposal was to assign each trailer with an environmental theme.  The themes for the trailers behind the school are the five geological regions of Virginia: Appalachian Plateau, Valley and Ridge, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.  The themes for the three trailers beside the school are Earth, Sun, and Moon.  Each trailer was to receive educational signage, planters, and other decorative improvements corresponding to its theme.  The themes directly connect to the science and social studies curricula. 

On October 10, 2015, PTA volunteers, teachers, parents,  community partners, and student Environmental Cabinet members came together for a service project, aligning with the international Green Apple Day of Service organized annually by the Center for Green Schools.  Educational signage was fabricated and installed by VA Print Shop.  Deteriorated door mats were removed and replaced with new decorative flags and mats.  The new flag brackets and poles were donated by Lowe's at Winterpock.   The trailers are numbered 0-7, however many had outdated, damaged, or inconsistent labeling, so doors were cleaned and re-numbered.  Brickman Group/Valley Crest donated all the supplies needed to give each trailer a new planter with brightly colored plants that will be maintained by Brickman.

It was a wonderful, fun day, the "learning cottages" have new life and fresh identities, and will hopefully be a little more inspiring for the people that use them every day. As the students can tell you, where we learn matters!  Thank you to everyone who contributed to this project, and to the school Administration for their enthusiastic support.