Item Photo by Owen O’Rourke
Kalie Connor, a member of the Garden Club at Swampscott Middle School, harvests lettuce in the school greenhouse.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
SWAMPSCOTT — Every day is Earth Day at the Swampscott Middle School.
While the one national day to focus on the environment was held last week, teachers and students meet weekly to beautify the school and conserve resources.
“I think it’s really important to help save energy,” said Marina Kolthof, 11, a fifth grader and member of the Energy Conservation Committee. “And it could save the school a lot of money to put towards field trips and fun activities.”
Launched nearly three decades ago, the recycling club began as a grassroots effort at the Greenwood Avenue Middle School. Headed by teachers Bill Andrake and Erica Vanderhoof, the volunteers salvaged paper and plastic from classrooms.
Today, the pair are seeking money to replace the school’s water fountains with refill stations. This would limit plastic bottles and encourage the school community to bring their own containers.
“We’re recycling a lot of plastic water bottles with water left in them,” Andrake said. “It’s a very wasteful culture.”
The teachers are hoping to receive a $10,000 grant from the Swampscott Education Foundation. Other funding could come from the Parent Teacher Organization and the Swampscott Rotary. Andrake said they plan to buy seven refill stations at $1,000 each.
Eighth graders Odin Randell, 14, and Jacob Olsen, 15, have been with the recycling club for five years. Randell said they have been collecting bottles and paper at school.
“It’s not only to clean the school, but it’s helping to promote the environment in general,” Randell said.
As a result, the students are helping to promote recycling, Olsen said.
“I think it’s important for kids to feel like they’re contributing to the school,” said Catie Porter, Elementary STEM Coordinator.
Teacher Margarett Ardman, head of the Conservation Committee, said students studied whether faculty and staff were turning lights and equipment off at lunchtime and presented their findings at a teacher meeting.
As a result, teachers have been turning the switches off in their classrooms. In the process, she said students are helping to save the town money.
“It opened people’s eyes about energy they may be wasting,” Ardman said.
Gail Anderson and John Savasta are in charge of the gardening club. Anderson said the school was given a grant to grow food. Some of the vegetables in the garden go into school lunches.
Anderson said the group is in the midst of its second harvest of lettuce. Other projects have included filling a boat with bulbs and doing plantings in the courtyard.
Kalie Connor, 11, a fifth grader, is a member of the gardening club. She said the group is harvesting lettuce and kale. Most of the vegetables usually go to the cafeteria for lunch preparation.
“I like nature and stuff,” Connor said. “I thought I would like to start growing stuff.”
Nevaeh Dion, 11, a fifth grader, is also a member of the club. She said other projects have included decorating the cafeteria and harvesting potatoes.
“I’ve always really loved plants and nature and being outside,” Dion said.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley