Success story: Peter Kirk Elementary School
School District: Kirkland
School Location: Lake Washington
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: Fall 2014
Level One of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2015
Waste reduction and recycling (level one)
- Peter Kirk Elementary School maintained a 58 percent recycling rate.
- Students formed three student environmental clubs: a Green Team that monitored lunchroom recycling and waste stations; a Recycling Team that assisted with emptying classroom recycling bins; and an after school Eco-Club that met weekly to complete a variety of conservation projects.
- Members of environmental clubs shared waste reduction and recycling tips in morning announcements.
- The school shared information about conservation practices and the Green Schools Program to student clubs, at morning staff meetings, in emails to teachers, at PTSA meetings and in the PTSA newsletter.
- Student members also created “Good on One Side (GOOS)” paper reuse boxes for each school classroom and wrote letters to teachers explaining that use of the paper in those boxes would conserve paper.
- Parent newsletters were sent via email.
- The school promoted waste-free lunches to parents.
- Peter Kirk Elementary held a school-wide King County Earth Challenge assembly in October 2014.
For more information about the school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:
Monica Garcia, principal
mogarcia@lwsd.org