Solid Waste Reduction |
Toy Swap
Our school wanted to make a difference. Students were challenged to clean out their toys and donate any gently used ones that could be passed on to another child. We then held a give away-night where our Deep Run community came and picked out the items they wanted. Many students put a lot of though into what they were going to bring home. Many planned holiday gifts for siblings or cousins. A student was even spotted later in the evening out shopping with her "new" bag. This event was held in December of 2018 and 2019. It was a huge success and we look forward to being able to hold it again in 2021. |
The Crayon Initiative
During the 2019-2020 school year, Miss Mackenzie Yee at DRES discovered a program called the Crayon Initiative. The Crayon Initiative collects donated crayons from restaurants, schools and homes across the country, then melts them down and remanufactures them, reducing waste. The recycled crayons are distributed to art programs at children’s hospitals across the U.S. At the time, students at DRES already recycled markers for the Crayola Color Cycle. The Crayola Color Cycle utilizes recycled markers to create renewable energy. It was decided that while students are already recycling markers, they can also recycle crayons! A group of 5th grade helpers were given this responsibility. First, they placed bins around the school. A bin was put into each grade-level pod where students placed unused and broken crayons when they came available. Two Thursdays out of each month, the group of 5th grade helpers used their recess time to gather the crayons. In June 2020, the box of recycled crayons was shipped out. Our students recycled 20 pounds of crayons which were sorted, melted, and donated to children’s hospitals across America.
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Little Free LibraryAs an end of the year gift the 2015-2016 Fifth Grade class voted to donate our Little Free Library. Year after year our school continues to enjoy the benefits of the Little Free Library. Students can be seen dropping off books they have already read, so someone else can enjoy them next. Or simply picking out their next book to get lost in. There are always new books for children to choose from. The Little Free Library has become even more important and used with the current pandemic and social distancing.
Date: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
4th and 5th Grade Recycling TeamOur students noticed that although we had recycling bins they were getting emptied into the trash cans in the evenings. To make sure that recycling was ending up in the correct place they took on the responsibility themselves. They went to each classroom and made recycling bins for the ones who did not have them. Then they were responsible for emptying them during their recess. The students had a rotating schedule to make this a huge success. With the help of our Assistant Principal they even convinced the county that we needed a bigger recycling dumpster outside! .
Date: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 |