Thousands of students across the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
will take part in community clean-ups, litterless lunches, walk-to-school
events and more, in honour of Earth Week next week.
Schools' year-round efforts to underscore the importance of environmental
responsibility will take the spotlight during international Earth Day -
April 22 - and all of Earth Week. Following are a few examples of the
events taking place. For details, please contact the schools directly.
Clarington events
Dr. Emily Stowe Public School in Courtice has week-long events that will
include presentations by Grade 7s to all the classrooms about
environmentally friendly cleaning products. Special announcements on the
PA system for the week, artwork being created on paper grocery bags for a
local grocery store, litterless lunches, an Earth Day assembly, WOW Day
(Walk on Wednesday), and litter pick-up in the schoolground and Stuart
Park on Thursday will round out the events.
Many Courtice Secondary School students also will participate in the
annual spring woodlot/trail clean-up on Earth Day, April 22. The school
has an on-going partnership with Ontario Power Generation in Darlington
and the Town of Clarington, under the auspices of Pitch-In Canada.
In Bowmanville, Harold Longworth PS students will enjoy an Earth Day
assembly with presentations by the Environmental Club and Grade 2
students. School-wide litterless lunches and promotion of an on-going
recycling program for batteries, printer cartridges and cell phones will
continue. Grade 5 students will enjoy a presentation by the Canadian Auto
Workers April 24, and there will be a week-long clean-up of the school
yard and attached community park.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ross Tilley PS students will have an Earth Day playground
clean-up, and participate in a recycled materials classroom door
decorating challenge.
Northumberland County events
In the Brighton area, many East Northumberland Secondary School students
and Spring Valley PS will participate in the community's Pitch-In program
with community clean-ups.
The Cobourg area will see C.R. Gummow PS taking part in reuse scrap paper
day on Monday, waste-free lunch and school yard clean-up on Tuesday, green
and blue day Wednesday - when everyone will be encouraged to bring in a
quarter for the World Wildlife Federation - and one pencil, one pen
awareness day on Thursday.
Students at both Baltimore PS and Plainville PS will be participating in
Earth Day school yard clean-ups. Plainville also will have an Earth Day
assembly with skits and performances by the primary choir.
Meanwhile, at Cobourg District Collegiate Institute East, events are
focusing on the weeks before and after Earth Week. Students at the East
are closely involved with the Atlantic Salmon Restoration program in
partnership with the province of Ontario and the Ontario Federation of
Anglers and Hunters. After performing a major river shoreline clean-up of
Color Creek and stocking of salmon with Fleming College students today,
the CDCI East students will be placing their own, hatchery-raised salmon
in Cobourg Creek in early May. Also in early May, Grade 9 geography
students and Learning and Life Skills students will work with the
Northumberland Land Stewardship Council to plant about 300 trees.
Peterborough County events
In the City of Peterborough, Otonabee Valley PS, Queen Mary PS and R.F.
Downey PS will launch their participation in the IWALK monthly
walk-to-school program. The city-wide launch will be held at Queen Mary,
in conjunction with Active and Safe Routes to School Peterborough and
Peterborough Green-Up, with a visit from Cool Captain Climate on Tuesday.
On Earth Day, Peterborough CVS students will participate in a large-scale
community clean-up and visit R.F. Downey PS to offer an
environmentally-focused performance. R.F. Downey students also will
participate in Peterborough Green-Up's Quest for Less competition by
bringing in litterless lunches, and in cleaning up the school yard and
surrounding areas.
Nearby, at Edmison Heights PS, an Earth Day assembly with classroom
presentations and banners will be followed by an Earth Day Parade with
students dressing up to reflect environmental themes. Classes will
participate in a school yard and neighbourhood clean-up on Thursday, and
there will be Earth Week announcements and videos on environmental themes.
At Adam Scott CVI, about 80 students will participate in the Kawartha
Rotary Super Spring Clean-up on Tuesday, clearing country roads in the
morning, then proceeding to Millennium Park for lunch, prizes and
speakers. The school also will hold a Why Care? assembly on Thursday, with
student groups and staff focusing on environmental initiatives through
speeches, songs, presentations and a play. Environmental art will adorn
the hallways, and teachers will discuss environmental issues in their
classrooms. Adam Scott Intermediate students also will participate in a
school yard clean-up.
Everyone at King George PS is decorating a white t-shirt with an Earth Day
theme, to wear Tuesday. A Clean Again, Green Again school yard clean-up,
Earth Day assembly, and whole- school photo that will see the students
forming the words Earth Day 2008 on the school yard will also take place.
Litterless snacks and lunches, posters and artwork also will be featured.
At Armour Heights PS, the Grade 4/5 class will oversee the community
clean-up. Five students also will be singing on a CD that Beau Dixon is
recording to promote environmental awareness.
At Thomas A. Stewart SS, Monday will focus on litterless lunches, and
Tuesday will feature a school yard clean-up. On Water Bottle Wednesday,
students and staff will be encouraged to bring a reusable drink container
from home. Transportation Thursday will see everyone encouraged to use
energy-efficient means to travel to school, whether carpooling, riding
city transit, walking or biking.
Prince of Wales PS will participate in the annual Earth Day clean-up with
union members from General Electric, starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday.
Students have been planting bulbs and seeds and growing them in the
classroom, in preparation for planting in the school garden. Students
also will plant bushes in the playground area and participate in an Earth
Week assembly Friday.
Meanwhile, Chemong PS students in Bridgenorth also will be participating
in Peterborough Green-Up's litterless lunch program, visiting the school's
Green Classroom, and doing a school-yard clean-up, after registering with
the Ecokids program. Everyone will be encouraged to make every day Earth
Day.
