School-Wide Environmental Behavior Changes
Recycling is just the way we do things at Gilmor Elementary! We have had a recycling program for the past 10 years! Our students and staff expect to recycle and will remind the Green Team if recycling bins have not been emptied or picked up.
Student volunteers collect recycle bins from each classroom.Every Wednesday morning at 7:45, Green Team students pick up recycle bins from classrooms prior to the beginning of the school day at 8:00 am.
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Placing recycle bins outside for pickup.The designated place for recycle bin pick up by Baltimore City's Department of Public Works is near the school dumpsters. Pick up time is Thursday mornings, sometimes afternoon.
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Primary students are taking action!Fifth grade students are Green Team student leaders; however our first grade students are afforded the opportunity to volunteer as well.
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Leadership:
Recycling Coordinator and Green School Leader; Art Teacher, Victoria Hofmann has spearheaded the recycling program at Gilmor Elementary for the past ten years.
Green Team Selection:
Teachers and Staff-
During the first week of school, Teachers sign up for different committees that they would like to participate in. Being part of the Green Team is mandatory, because Gilmor Elementary is dedicated to becoming a Green School; however levels of teacher participation vary outside of the classroom. Every teacher at Gilmor is dedicated to support the efforts of Green Team Coordinator, Victoria Hofmann. This includes supporting recycling efforts and education in classrooms. In addition, the following teachers and staff have volunteered to assist in the supervision of student recycling bin collection: Technology Teacher, Ray Tamoshunas, and Custodian, Charlene McRoy.
Students-
All students were made aware of our school's efforts to be a Green School at the beginning of the year and through discussion, school expectations, and actions, all students are expected to be active Green Team participants by making 'green' choices daily.
The following considerations continually determine which students are student leaders on the *Green Team:
* The effectiveness of the student Green Team is informally evaluated each Wednesday by Ms. Hofmann and participating adult Green Team members as Green Team students are supervised during recycling bin pick-ups and deliveries. Opportunities for other students to participate are continually considered by student requests as well as by teacher recommendations. Green Team student leaders understand that at times they will be asked to allow other students to have an opportunity to lead.
Recycling Infrastructure:
Arrangements with Baltimore City's Department of Public Works have been established for the past ten years to pick up recyclables from school recycling bins placed near the school dumpsters every Thursday morning or afternoon.
Classroom Recycling Collections:
Student Green Team Collectors with the supervision of Victoria Hofmann and/or other teacher and staff members of the Green Team make certain that classroom recycling bins are collected by students each Wednesday morning and placed next to the trash/recycling bins. With the help of the Green Healthy Smart Challenge Grant, Gilmor hopes to receive three large rolling recycling bins. This will dramatically reduce incidents of recyclables scattered by inclement weather. We hope to receive notification of the Grant soon. Students return to the classroom with the empty collection containers Thursday morning after they have been washed (if needed) by Victoria Hoffman.
Recycling Education:
Returning staff and teachers are familiar with the recycling program; however refreshers, reminders, and updates are provided throughout the year for the benefit of all- especially for new staff, teachers, and students.
Student In-service: Recycling awareness and education is student-lead at Gilmor Elementary. The Art Teacher and Green Team Coordinator, Victoria Hofmann integrates recycling awareness into her art curriculum: Recycling posters and buttons are created by students and class discussions about the importance of recycling begin in Art and continue in all grade homerooms. In coordination with Ms. Hofmann, classroom teachers provide student volunteers from the 2nd to 5th grades opportunities to present to their classes the importance of recycling, school procedures for recycling, and any other updates regarding Green School efforts to be more green. Classroom discussions in Pre-K to 1st grade are teacher-lead.
Students in grades Pre-K through First will participate in an Environmental Education Assembly funded by a grant from Young Audiences of Maryland scheduled for Thursday, April 20th at 1pm in the Gym. This program explains recycling in an interactive way for younger students.
Every year, Ms. Hofmann invites the Eni
Administration Collection:
School administrators recycle their waste as well as students. Recycle bins are placed in the main office and in the I.E.P. office into which administrators take care to dispose of their recyclables. These bins are also picked up, emptied, and returned by students on the same schedule as the rest of the school.
Playground/School Grounds Collection:
Most days custodial staff picks up trash on school grounds. Custodians carry two bags: One for trash and the second for recyclables.
Recyclables are placed directly in an extra recycling bin kept in a storage area next to the exit door to the outdoor trash and recycling containers.
Recycling Coordinator and Green School Leader; Art Teacher, Victoria Hofmann has spearheaded the recycling program at Gilmor Elementary for the past ten years.
Green Team Selection:
Teachers and Staff-
During the first week of school, Teachers sign up for different committees that they would like to participate in. Being part of the Green Team is mandatory, because Gilmor Elementary is dedicated to becoming a Green School; however levels of teacher participation vary outside of the classroom. Every teacher at Gilmor is dedicated to support the efforts of Green Team Coordinator, Victoria Hofmann. This includes supporting recycling efforts and education in classrooms. In addition, the following teachers and staff have volunteered to assist in the supervision of student recycling bin collection: Technology Teacher, Ray Tamoshunas, and Custodian, Charlene McRoy.
Students-
All students were made aware of our school's efforts to be a Green School at the beginning of the year and through discussion, school expectations, and actions, all students are expected to be active Green Team participants by making 'green' choices daily.
The following considerations continually determine which students are student leaders on the *Green Team:
- Does the student candidate arrive on time to school?
- Does the student need minimal supervision and is Responsible, Respectful, and Safe?
- Are each of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades represented by a student candidate?
- Does each student candidate have the approval of their classroom teacher to participate based on merit or other considerations?- such as affording students with challenging behaviors to assume more responsibilities in order to foster positive leadership behaviors-
* The effectiveness of the student Green Team is informally evaluated each Wednesday by Ms. Hofmann and participating adult Green Team members as Green Team students are supervised during recycling bin pick-ups and deliveries. Opportunities for other students to participate are continually considered by student requests as well as by teacher recommendations. Green Team student leaders understand that at times they will be asked to allow other students to have an opportunity to lead.
Recycling Infrastructure:
Arrangements with Baltimore City's Department of Public Works have been established for the past ten years to pick up recyclables from school recycling bins placed near the school dumpsters every Thursday morning or afternoon.
Classroom Recycling Collections:
Student Green Team Collectors with the supervision of Victoria Hofmann and/or other teacher and staff members of the Green Team make certain that classroom recycling bins are collected by students each Wednesday morning and placed next to the trash/recycling bins. With the help of the Green Healthy Smart Challenge Grant, Gilmor hopes to receive three large rolling recycling bins. This will dramatically reduce incidents of recyclables scattered by inclement weather. We hope to receive notification of the Grant soon. Students return to the classroom with the empty collection containers Thursday morning after they have been washed (if needed) by Victoria Hoffman.
Recycling Education:
Returning staff and teachers are familiar with the recycling program; however refreshers, reminders, and updates are provided throughout the year for the benefit of all- especially for new staff, teachers, and students.
Student In-service: Recycling awareness and education is student-lead at Gilmor Elementary. The Art Teacher and Green Team Coordinator, Victoria Hofmann integrates recycling awareness into her art curriculum: Recycling posters and buttons are created by students and class discussions about the importance of recycling begin in Art and continue in all grade homerooms. In coordination with Ms. Hofmann, classroom teachers provide student volunteers from the 2nd to 5th grades opportunities to present to their classes the importance of recycling, school procedures for recycling, and any other updates regarding Green School efforts to be more green. Classroom discussions in Pre-K to 1st grade are teacher-lead.
Students in grades Pre-K through First will participate in an Environmental Education Assembly funded by a grant from Young Audiences of Maryland scheduled for Thursday, April 20th at 1pm in the Gym. This program explains recycling in an interactive way for younger students.
Every year, Ms. Hofmann invites the Eni
Administration Collection:
School administrators recycle their waste as well as students. Recycle bins are placed in the main office and in the I.E.P. office into which administrators take care to dispose of their recyclables. These bins are also picked up, emptied, and returned by students on the same schedule as the rest of the school.
Playground/School Grounds Collection:
Most days custodial staff picks up trash on school grounds. Custodians carry two bags: One for trash and the second for recyclables.
Recyclables are placed directly in an extra recycling bin kept in a storage area next to the exit door to the outdoor trash and recycling containers.
- Aluminum, steel, tin, beverage and food cans
- Paper, cardboard, and recyclable plastics- such as plastic eating utensils