Green with awesome at Graham Bell-Victoria PS

Caption: School's commitment to the environment earns it water filtration installation to keep up the momentum

Earth Week may be wrapping up in Grand Erie, but the hard work continues year-round as schools do their part to ensure a healthier future.

Graham Bell-Victoria Public School is one of the latest sites to be designated under Ontario EcoSchools with a silver-level recognition. Staff and students have worked hard to establish a school Green Team that is diligent in helping classes identify which items can be recycled, using two blue bins per classroom to distinguish between papers and plastics, turning off lighting when not needed, and introducing a composting system.

"On a weekly basis, the Green Team recycles all blue bins and collects all compost throughout the school," explains Principal John Poulimenos. "The compost is then transferred to the outside compost bins, which in turn is used in the school’s garden."

As part of the silver EcoSchool classification, the school received a water filtration system, installed on the first floor. With the help of the school council, a second water filtration station was purchased for the top floor of the school this year. This has enabled all staff and students to use stainless steel water bottles, provided by the Brant County Health Unit, to fill and refill with water throughout the day. This has cut down tremendously on the use of plastic water bottles, which can take more than 450 years to biodegrade.

The Green Team continues to lead the way in making Graham Bell-Victoria PS an eco-friendly school that promotes green living in order to help conserve energy and our planet for future generations.