Each week, we announce a new idea for how our students, faculty, and families can be eco-wise. Some of these Green Tips come from our students themselves! Got a green tip for us? Send an e-mail to MMLN(at) austin.rr.com or put a note in the envelope on our Green Team bulletin board!
GREEN TIP OF THE WEEK
May 23, 2011: We want to thank you for everything that you have done this year to help the Earth, whether you’ve planted new native plants or recycled materials, remembered to turn off lights, or helped conserve water. Keep up the good work this summer! Be sure to get outdoors to enjoy nature, and remember that you can help wildlife by setting out plant saucers or birdbaths filled with clean water. Don’t waste a drop – it’s going to be a hot summer! Have a good one, and the Green Team will see you in the fall!
EARTH WEEK
April 22, 2011: HAPPY EARTH DAY! Give our planet a big hug.
April 21, 2011: Tomorrow is Earth Day, and we’ll be out of school for a holiday. It’s a great time to do something special with your family to help the environment during this long weekend.
April 20, 2011: Please don’t pick or step on wildflowers – save the flowers for our native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds!
April 19, 2011: The best way to help our Texas birds is to plant native Texas plants. Insects depend on native plants, and birds depend on insects. Even if the birds eat berries or seeds as adults, they still need insects to feed their young, and that’s why native plants for those insects are so important!
April 18, 2011: It’s Earth Week! We’re celebrating all week long at Caraway. Today’s tip is: If you see trash on the ground or around school, please pick it up and get it to the appropriate trash or recycle bin. Never litter! Thanks for helping protect the Earth, Caraway!
April 12, 2011: Next week is Earth Week, and we are celebrating our beautiful environment by having our very own Caraway Green Ribbon Week with special activities each day. Here is your green tip for the week: There are many ways to help protect Earth’s Resources. Always be thinking about your actions – from leaving a faucet on to pulling or stepping on flowers to buying things that you’ll only throw away later. Is it really necessary to turn on that light? Can someone else use the clothes that don’t fit you anymore? Be aware of what you do, and help protect the Earth!
April 5, 2011: The Green Team welcomes you to Earth Month at Caraway! April 22 is Earth Day, but we’re celebrating “environmental stewardship” all month long. That’s a big term for all the things people do to help protect our earth, its wildlife, and its resources. Since it’s spring, our tip for this week is to get out there and help your parents plant native Texas plants that will give food or shelter to wildlife. The plants might give seeds, berries, fruits, nuts, nectar, or pollen, or they might have lots of leaves to give animals a place to nest or hide. Don’t know what native plants to plant? Check out the Green Team’s website for ones that are in our garden – that’s a great place to start! Don’t forget, Earth Week is coming soon – April 18-22 – get ready to do all sorts of green, wonderful things to celebrate our environment!
March 29, 2011: We’ve got another water-saving tip for you this week! Be sure to tell your parents if you see a leaky faucet inside your house or outside – every drop that gets wasted quickly adds up to many gallons of water. And if you see a leak at school, be sure to let your teacher or the office staff know. Thanks for helping protect our water, such a valuable resource!
March 15-22, 2011: Welcome back from spring break! Did you make sure to get outdoors? This past week was also National Wildlife Week. What creatures did you spot out in nature? Since last week was spring break, we have two water tips for you this week. Remember, we’re focusing on water conservation this month, because our March 31 Science Night will be all about water! Your first green tip is about washing classroom paintbrushes – plug the sink and wash the brushes in a small amount of water before doing a final rinse. That way you aren’t wasting water by leaving the faucet running! Your second water-saving tip is to remember not to waste water at the drinking fountains. Take a quick sip and release the button, so very little extra water goes down the drain. Thanks, everyone!
March 8, 2011: This week’s Tip of the Week comes from 5th-grader Thomas S. He reminds us to always take a short shower. Did you know that a 5-minute shower uses about 12.5 gallons of water? The more time you spend in the shower, the more water and energy go down the drain, literally! Thanks, Thomas!
March 1, 2011: Did you know our Science Night this month is about water? So this month’s green tips are all about ways to save water! First of all, we want to give a special thank you to 2nd-grader Madeleine S. for all her wonderful posters in our school’s bathrooms to teach us about the importance of conserving water. Be sure to read the eye-opening water facts she included! And 2nd-graders Rakshar, Matthew, and Farleen also remind us not to waste any water in bathrooms, kitchens, or outside. Always close a nozzle tight to save every drop of water that you can! Thanks to all our wonderful Green Kids!
February 22, 2011: This week’s Tip of the Week comes from a whole book of Green Tips from 4th-grade teacher Mrs. Bourque! Do you help clean the kitchen at home? Be sure to have a full load of dishes in the dishwasher before you run it. This will save gallons and gallons of hot water, as well as the energy needed to heat the water. This is the same for laundry – always run a full load of clothes in the washing machine. Thanks, Mrs. Bourque!
February 15, 2011: Did you know that when drivers keep their car engines running at drive-through lines or while waiting for someone, they are wasting a lot of gas and polluting our air? American drivers idle away 2.9 billion gallons of gas each year. If you are a car rider, be sure to ask your parents to protect our air and our students by turning off their cars while they wait in line for school to let out.
February 8: 5th-grader Thomas S. shared with us another great tip for saving energy – put your computer to sleep when you are not using it and turn off the monitor. We enjoy our computers, but they do use a lot of energy! Thanks, Thomas!
February 1: Did you know that we have a Watt Watcher team at Caraway that checks to see whether lights are turned out in empty classrooms? And 5th-grader Thomas S. and 2nd-grader Lauryn T. also remind us to always turn out those lights when you leave a room, whether at school or at home! Thanks, Thomas, Lauren, and Watt Watchers for helping Caraway save energy!
January 25: Last week’s Green Tip taught us to help heat our house naturally by opening curtains and blinds during the day. 2nd-Grader Lauryn T. agrees – putting shades and lined draperies on your windows is a great way to save energy. She also suggests that you use organic fabrics. Thanks for the great tip, Lauryn!
January 17: A great way to help heat your house naturally is to open curtains and blinds at home during the day, especially on the side of the house that receives the most sunlight. At night, close them. This lets your house be warmed by the sun but then keeps that warmth in the house at night. It’s a wonderful way to help save energy!
January 10: It’s been very cold outside, so make sure you don’t leave any doors open for very long. When you let too much cold air in the house or at school, energy gets wasted trying to reheat the building back up. It’s important to think Green all year long!
January 4: Happy New Year! With colder temperatures outside, it’s tempting to keep our homes toasty inside, but you can help your family save lots of energy by asking your parents to set the thermostat to 68 degrees. If you feel it’s a little chilly, just put on a sweater or slippers and you’ll warm up fast!
December 13 – January 3: This winter break, spend some time outdoors. Stretch those legs and go outside and play or take a walk in the cool, fresh air! What do you observe about nature in the winter? Happy holidays from the Green Team!
December 6: This week’s Tip of the Week reminds us to think outside the box when it comes to wrapping presents. You can use some of your artwork from school, scrap construction paper, newspaper or paper shopping bags, and more!
November 29: The winter holidays are coming fast, so think about Eco-Friendly gifts you can give to family and friends. You can give coupons for special favors, make gifts from recycled products, help your family cook delicious snacks, make birdseed treats, or give some of your favorite artwork from school! Remember, you can ask for eco-friendly gifts, too!
November 22: Did you know that during the holiday season, household trash increases by more than 25 percent? So how can you avoid extra waste? For your meals, encourage your family NOT to use disposable plates or cups or plastic-ware that have to be thrown away. Or if your family has to use disposable plates, ask your parents to choose plates that will break down into compost. And that leads us to our next tip – if you have leftover veggies from your big meal, use them to start your own compost bin! It’s good for the earth and you’ll have a place to put your veggie and leaf waste. Happy Thanksgiving from the Green Team!
November 15: To coincide with our new rain tank installation, Oliver in 2nd grade tell us to give water to flowers. And that’s exactly what we hope to do with the rainwater we collect. But we also make sure to plant native plants that don’t need much water, even in our Texas heat. These are some of the ways we are Water-Wise here at Caraway! Thanks, Oliver!
November 8: Emma V.M. in 5th grade and Nisa A. in 2nd grade remind us to not waste paper. This is an important tip, because when we waste paper, we waste trees. Use paper wisely and put scraps in the recycling bin instead of the trash can. If you need to write a note, use a piece of scrap paper from the recycling. Great idea, Emma and Nisa!
November 1: Ashley M. in 2nd grade tells us to plant more flowers. Great idea, Ashley. Plants native to Texas are the best for our wildlife, and this is a great time to get wildflower seeds, trees, and bushes in the ground. In the spring, you can plant more native flowers. Talk to your parents about planting a new plant in your yard and make it beautiful and wildlife-friendly at the same time!
October 25: This Halloween, be sure to use a reusable bag for trick-or-treating. It could be a cloth or canvas bag like the ones you take to the grocery store, or it might be one that you can use again next Halloween. You could even use a pillowcase as a trick-or-treat bag!
October 18: Going trick-or-treating this October 31? Instead of buying a new costume, see what you can make with hats, gloves, and other items from home. You might surprise yourself with what you come up with!
