Student-driven Best Management Practices
Objective 2.1 : Water Conservation/Pollution Prevention
All students in grade 6 science classes researched the importance of water conservation as it relates to the water cycle. Students were given the opportunity to explore ways to conserve water not only at school but at home as well. These water conservation initiatives will be shared with the entire school community in order to help promote more responsible use of water resources.
This photo shows students surveying all water sources in the building, sinks, drinking fountains, and toilets.
This photo shows students surveying all water sources in the building, sinks, drinking fountains, and toilets.
Students in grade six take their research one step further and create signage for HCMS at all water dispensing locations (i.e. water fountains, restrooms, etc.). By putting up this visual reminder the HCMS community is learning the importance of the 6th grade environmental theme of "every drop counts".
Objective 2.2: Energy Conservation
Students in eighth grade Reading classes labeled every light switch in the building with reminders to conserve energy by turning off the lights. The students placed the signs on each light switch and reminded staff members and students present in the room the importance of energy conservation. Our 7th and 8th grade science students joined with the entire school to be energy savers by turning off the lights when not needed. (January/February 2014)
Students in grade 8 Reading classes and English and Math Seminars conducted energy audits throughout the school. The student auditors counted every overhead light in the school, calculated the amount of money spent to illuminate each light and presented these findings to the school community via HCTV Public Service Announcements. These energy audits lead to Earth Hour and reminders to staff and students the importance of turning off all overhead lights when they are not needed. ( March 2014)
Earth Hour data will be available to the students the week of April 21, 2014.
Earth Hour data will be available to the students the week of April 21, 2014.
Objective 2.3: Solid Waste Reduction
Waste-Free Wednesdays
Green Team members initiated Waste-Free Wednesdays during the 2013-14 school year after meeting with Alicia Moore, Howard County Recycling Coordinator, and learning about the need to reduce waste that goes to landfills. Weekly announcements and posters remind students to reduce waste by taking only what they will eat, bring reusable containers, and recycle everything possible. These pictures show the signage in the cafeteria to remind students to recycle.
Used Book Drive
All eighth grade students implemented a school wide used book drive in partnership with Books For America based in Washington,D. C. to promote literacy and life-long learning. All students in the 8th grade were reminded of the environmental implications of recycling and reusing books and the impact it has on our landfills during the program's kick-off.( March 2014)
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HCTV Environmental PSA's
HCTV Green Tips of the Week and Environmental PSA's
Members of the Green Team research, write scripts and pre-record Waste-Free Wednesday announcements and other environmental PSA's throughout 2013-14. Eighth graders interviewed ACE (Alliance for Climate Education) speaker, Cy Maramangalaman, a follow-up to an all-school assembly, and later aired the feature on the morning news show. (November 2013)
Members of the Green Team research, write scripts and pre-record Waste-Free Wednesday announcements and other environmental PSA's throughout 2013-14. Eighth graders interviewed ACE (Alliance for Climate Education) speaker, Cy Maramangalaman, a follow-up to an all-school assembly, and later aired the feature on the morning news show. (November 2013)
HCMS considers the environment before printing!
Students at HCMS hand-in homework and other assignments electronically via Google Docs to eliminate the need for paper documents. This feature allows teachers to comment on and correct work that students complete without printing the document. All peer editing can be completed on Google Docs with revisions made on the original document. ( School wide 2013/2014 school year)
Art Contest
A school-wide Recycled/Reused Object Art Contest was sponsored by the Green Team to encourage creative ways
to reuse and recycle objects from everyday life rather. (March/April 2014)
to reuse and recycle objects from everyday life rather. (March/April 2014)
Objective 2.5: Structures for Environmental Learning
Ourdoor Classroom
HCMS has a wonderful outdoor classroom provided by a partnership with our PTA and Lowe's. Students use the classroom weather permitting on a regular basis across all content areas. Students use the outdoor classroom to write nature poetry, genetics labs, and rain gauge lessons to name a few.
Sixth grade science students identified potential benefits of having a rain gauge on the HCMS campus. They were taught how to read the rain gauge so that they will be able to take part in the data collection for the GPM Global Precipitation Mission with NASA.(March 2014)
Sixth grade science students identified potential benefits of having a rain gauge on the HCMS campus. They were taught how to read the rain gauge so that they will be able to take part in the data collection for the GPM Global Precipitation Mission with NASA.(March 2014)
School Garden Project
The Harper's Harvesters are a group of students who have become interested in an "Eat What You Grow" initiative. These students have researched gardens and growing seasons in Maryland. They are partnering with The Howard County Master Gardeners for guidance to help achieve their goal of building and planting a community garden at HCMS. These Reading Module and Math Seminar students in grade 8 are laying the ground work for a garden and greenhouse that will will be completely student run.(2013/2014)
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HCMS Goes Green Website
A group of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders have created a website to showcase our school's green initiatives that will include class projects, field trips, speakers, lessons, and our rain gauge partnership and any other happenings in our greater HCMS community. In the next few weeks the website will be completed and the site will be linked to the Harper's Choice website as a communication tool to our HCMS community. (2013/2014 school year)
HCMS Goes Green click to view website
HCMS Goes Green click to view website
"We think it's important to be a green school to set a good example for others and
be leaders, not followers. We all need to play a role in taking care of the earth".