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EcoSchools in the Real World 
Running a school in a society where wastefulness is "second nature" isn't easy. It means that in becoming an EcoSchool you are constantly overcoming a lot of practices thought of as "normal." As EcoSchools supporters you ask that lights are turned off, curtains closed at the end of day, recycling bins and garbage cans 'twinned,' trees generously mulched, and paper used on both sides. Our Instructional Leader Steve Bibla says being an environmental citizen means "paying attention to the small details of our lives," well aware that in our hurried consumer society this is no small task!
This week I observed a school seeking platinum engage in its initial audit (unlike other levels, a platinum-seeking school receives two). I was reminded of the huge commitment it takes to organize and maintain a school at a high EcoSchools level. I felt deep respect for a school team that is making good environmental practice the new "second nature."
Our challenge, together, is to make it not only normal, but admirable in every school and office, to create our lessons or work plans, green our grounds, reduce our waste, and attend to energy savings with the environment in mind!
Every one of you, in doing your bit, is part of the growing TDSB EcoSchools movement making schools a beacon of hope for a more sustainable world. If you are working well as a team, or even more if you are struggling with little support, thank you. Please keep going! If you want to share your thoughts, click Talk To Us.
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Workshop for Whole EcoTeam...in 2 locations
Tuesday January 27, 2009 4:30 to 7:00 pm
OR Wednesday January 28, 2009 4:30 to 7:00 pm
The Fundamentals of Building a Strong EcoSchools Program
Three short workshops in a single afternoon are tailored to help you to get the program off the ground in implementing EcoSchools. Open to principals, teachers, students, parents, guardians, and other members of EcoTeams. Light dinner and time to share ideas included.
To register: TDSB staff go to Key to Learn, EcoSchools section; parents, volunteers, and others contact fran.raymond@tdsb.on.ca. For more information, click here.
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Middle Schools Leadership Conference for Grades 7 & 8
Tuesday February 17, 2009 8:30 am
to 3:00 pm
St. Lawrence Hall, 157 Front Street
OR
Wednesday February 18, 2009
8:30 am to 3:00 pm
St. Lawrence Hall, 157 Front Street
Last year's first-ever Middle Schools Conference got rave reviews, so we've added a second session to accommodate the growing demand for excellent student leadership training at this level. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for middle school staff and students to learn more about EcoSchools, broaden their environmental awareness, and develop a shared sense of responsibility for reducing their school's environmental impact.
Limit of 9 students and 1 teacher per school. Register now to avoid disappointment!
To register: Teachers go to Key to Learn, EcoSchools. Please list your students' names in the Accommodations box.
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Teaching in the Outdoor Classroom...for beginning teachers and their mentors
(Please note change of date and location.)
Friday February 13 PA Day, 2009 8:45 am to 3:30 pm
Runnymede PS, Library
Spend the day with OISE art educator Hilary Inwood and outdoor educator Pamela Miller exploring how school grounds can become engaging 'learning grounds' in all seasons to integrate literacy, visual arts, and science studies. This workshop will focus on how to engage students in the wonders of the winter school ground and warm up to winter through outdoor art explorations.
Lunch provided!
To register: go to Key to Learn, EcoSchools.
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Register now to become certified...or re-certified! 
Mary Lovett reminds all EcoSchools and prospective EcoSchools to register online to let us know if you will be part of the program this year! Right now 91 schools have registered, but that leaves us wondering about the rest of our grand total of 264 schools certified this year. Are you coming back? And of course we look forward to hearing about schools coming on board for the first time. Final deadline is April 30th this year.
Mary is happy to come and visit your elementary school if you need help. Secondary schools should contact our Student Leadership Facilitator Maggie Ballantyne.
Terrific support is also available at our January 26th Fundamentals workshop (see Workshop for Whole EcoTeam above), especially for schools that are just getting started, or wanting to get help with making your existing program more effective.
To register online, simply go to ecoschools.ca and click the Certify Online icon.
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NE 5 is the TDSB's first EcoFamily of Schools!
Another EcoSchools milestone--this year all 24 schools in North East 5 became EcoSchools-certified, making it the TDSB's first EcoFamily of Schools. EcoRepresentatives from each school are now strengthening family ties through computer conferencing to share ideas for best practices in the classroom and beyond.
In addition to recycling, vermicomposting, waste audits, and simple "lights out" programs, some schools have butterfly and vegetable gardens, no-mow zones, and at Cassandra PS a newly opened student-designed Amphibian Oasis wetland. Delamping and several shade/tree planting initiatives are making schools more energy efficient, creating real-life examples for lessons about how schools can reduce their impact on the planet.
EcoSchools is also part of North East 5's Safe Schools strategy. An increase in student and community participation in stewardship activities such as planning new greening projects, gardening, and cleanups are helping to reduce vandalism and other anti-social behaviour. The Safe Schools committee reports that its emphasis on EcoSchools as part of safe schools and character education has led to a real sense of caring and ownership in NE 5 schools and their communities.
North East 5 schools' achievement as the TDSB's first EcoFamily is being recognized through the presentation of a plaque to each school with a message of congratulations from Director of Education Gerry Connelly, and her thanks for "setting a new standard to which other families of schools may aspire."
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Recycle polystyrene and (some) plastic bags?--yes you can! 
There are 2 new materials for blue box recycling:
Foam polystyrene: cups, take-out containers, egg cartons, meat trays, and foam packaging. Just rinse or wipe clean and toss them in your nearest blue box.
Plastic bags - but only grocery and retail plastic bags. The
do-not-recycle list is long: bags with drawstrings, hard plastic handles and metal details, dry cleaning bags, all milk bags, produce bags, bread bags, sandwich bags. And no plastic wrap!
Check out the simplified Q&A sheet to be the first in your school - or on your block - to know precisely what you can and cannot recycle. Please share this information widely. People want to do the right thing. We as educators, parents, and students can help this to happen!
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Green Toronto Awards deadline for nominations is February 27th 
The Green Toronto Awards recognize efforts to make a Toronto a cleaner, greener, and more liveable city. Many EcoSchools contribute substantially to this goal. Talk to your EcoTeam and consider applying! The application deadline for these awards is Friday, February 27th.
To get information about all ten awards categories, go to Green Toronto Awards. This will help you decide which category is best for you, and help you understand what details to include in writing a persuasive account of your EcoSchools work.
In past years, James S. Bell MS, Thomas L. Wells PS, Earl Haig Jr PS, Guildwood Jr PS, and teacher Alice Miller have all been finalists. In 2006, the EcoSchools program and the Jackman Avenue PS Green Team were winners in their respective categories. Maybe it's time to nominate an individual, group, or program at your school! The work must be in progress in 2009. Previous winners are not eligible. However, previous finalists are!
Nominate a person or some group initiative by using the online Nomination Form. Deadline is February 27th, 2009.
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TDSB's 2nd annual "Preparation for Earth Hour" Friday March 27th, 2 to 3 pm
This year TDSB's "Preparation for Earth Hour" will take place on Friday, March 27 from 2 to 3 pm.
Our first Earth Hour, held Friday, March 28th, 2008 between 2 and 3 pm, was a huge success. Schools and offices achieved a stunning 22% reduction in electricity use. This outstanding figure compared very favourably indeed with the official Earth Hour results the next evening: an 8.7% reduction in the City of Toronto, and a 5% reduction across Ontario.
Our challenge: Can we exceed last year's 22% reduction in electricity use? How do we make it grow from a single focused hour to something that lasts longer and changes behaviour more distinctly? Every kilowatt of electricity saved means fewer greenhouse gases produced! Send us your ideas and we'll post them.
For inspiration, take a look at some of our schools' 2008
Earth Hour stories on the EcoSchools website, ecoschools.ca>archives. And check out www.earthhour.org
for information about the planet-wide Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28th, 8:30-9:30pm.
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Eleanor's pick! 
Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines
New York: W.W. Norton, 2008
by Richard A. Muller
This book may well owe its existence to George W. Bush, under whose presidency scientific reports and findings were often ignored, distorted, or simply expunged from the official record. In contrast, everything points to Barack Obama being a president who will insist on being thoroughly briefed.
Addressing the book to future presidents underscores the importance of its subject. With sections on terrorism, energy, nukes, space, and global warming, the book covers major areas where world leaders make decisions that will have impacts on us all. For a reader like me, ill-equipped by my humanities background to understand the physics dimension of threats and solutions, this book fills a big gap.
Science literacy is such an important part of ecological or environmental literacy. Without it, we lack content and context for assessing statements put forth by a person or organization whose purpose is as noble as protecting the environment. And it is tempting to fall prey to simple certitudes: nuclear power is bad under all circumstances; electric cars are the solution to gasoline fuelled autos; the increase in category 4 and 5 hurricanes is evidence of global warming. Critical thinking may help me spot the weakness of sweeping claims, but I still need to do some reading to gather facts, and check their veracity. This book is a gold mine of those facts.
To read more, and learn about online lectures by Professor Muller, click here. Or catch Bob MacDonald's interview with Muller on "Quirks and Quarks" at noon this Saturday, January 17th on CBC radio 99.1 FM.
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Feedback is welcome at Talk to us. Special thanks this month goes to the dedicated IT staff who helped us overcome technical challenges in getting this newsletter sent out.
Best Regards,
Eleanor Dudar
EcoSchools Specialist
Toronto District School Board |
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