School District: Bellevue
School Location: Bellevue
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: September 2009

Level One of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2010
Level Two of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in April 2011
Level Three of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in April 2012

Waste reduction and recycling (level one)

• As of April 2011, students and staff had increased the school’s recycling rate from 40 percent to 62 percent.
• The City of Bellevue partnered with the Green Schools Program to assist Bellevue schools with recycling improvements.
• To reduce paper use, teacher and PTSA parent newsletters were distributed electronically. Lunch menus also were distributed electronically.
• The fourth grade class formed a Green Team to promote environmental awareness to the entire school. Students created and displayed posters that read “Be Green, Join our Team!”
• Students created a video to promote recycling and waste reduction practices.
• The school held a green week that included posters and morning announcements to promote recycling practices.
• Tips about recycling were shared on the school’s daily news broadcast.
• Students created a lobby display with samples of what can and can’t be recycled, and a large banner was created and hung in front of the school.
• Presentations were made in each classroom about recycling and reuse.
• The school started to recycle food scraps and other compostable materials in the cafeteria.
• All classrooms, offices and cafeteria have recycling containers with stickers listing what can and can’t be recycled.
• Four fourth grade classes participated in the healthy habitat workshop.
• The school signed up for a waste reduction and recycling assembly to educate students and staff about what is and isn’t recyclable.
• In 2011-12, three classes participated in the City of Bellevue’s “Recycling Basics” workshop, three classes participated in the City of Bellevue’s “Rethink and Reuse” workshop, and two classes participated in the City of Bellevue’s “Garbology” workshop.
• The entire school participated in the City of Bellevue’s resource conservation assembly.

Energy conservation (level two)

• Students made presentations to classrooms about conserving water and energy.
• Every Wednesday, students used audio announcements to share conservation facts with the school community.
• On Earth Day students wore green and blue representing earth and water to honor the Earth and promote stewardship practices.
• Staff reduced lighting use, including reducing cafeteria lighting during lunch.
• Students placed energy conservation labels near all light switches in the school.
• The green team made announcements about energy conservation.
• Fourth grade students learn about energy conservation in their classes.
• Students made energy conservation presentations to classes.
• Guest speakers visited throughout the school year and taught about resource conservation.

Water conservation and pollution prevention (level three)

• Students made presentations to classrooms about conserving water.
• Four fourth grade classes participated in Nature Vision’s healthy water systems workshop.Four fourth grade classes participated in Nature Vision’s “Healthy Water Systems” workshop.
• Classes received the “Water Cycle Game.”
• To raise awareness about conserving water at school and at home, morning announcements were submitted to the front office and read to the school.
• Students went on a field trip to the local watershed.
• Students learned about green roofs and how they help to conserve water.  This school has a green roof.
• Fourth graders used the City of Bellevue’s water conservation curriculum materials.
• The green team used the water conservation resource tub materials from the City of Bellevue.
• The green team sent information to parents about water conservation through the parent newsletter.
• Students placed “turn water off” stickers by sinks throughout the school.
• Students learned about shower timers and graphed data related to length of showers and water use.

For more information about the school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:

Spiritridge Elementary School
425-456-5900