GREEN SCHOOL IT’S EASY BEING GREEN! AS UPPER PRIMARY 4 students inspectedmountainsofe-waste, magneticmetalextractorsandconveyor beltsofbluebagdebrisatgovernment’s impressivenewrecyclingplantthis summerterm,thequestionscame fastandfurious.“Whycan’tplasticbe recycledinBermuda?”“Wheredoall thedeadbatteriesgo?”“Howmany gigawattsdoesthisplaceuseanyway?” “Youguysaremoreinformedthana lotofcollegestudentswhocomehere,” laughedtheirtourguide,VaneseFloodGordon,WasteEducationandEnforcementOfficerfortheMinistryofWorks andEngineering. TheHamiltonParishfield-tripwasa goodexampleofthemanywaysSaltus studentsareturningagreenereyeon theworldthesedays.Eversincethe SaltusGreenTeamwaslaunchedthree yearsago,environmentalawarenesshas 8 P4s had a fun, educational day at Bermuda’s recycling plant beengrowingrapidlythroughoutall departmentsoftheSchool,withaslew ofinitiativesaimedatencouragingan eco-friendlycommunity.Andit’soften theyoungeststudentswholeadtheway. “We’realwaystalkingaboutrespect forothersandourselves,butalsoforthe environment,”saysLowerPrimary deputyHeadandGreenTeamchair, TracyRenaud.“Wetalkaboutitinour LifeSkillslessonsatCavendishandthe childrenknowallaboutrecycling, reusingandpickinguptrash.Thelevel ofunderstanding,evenatthisage,is amazing.Theyaresokeen—because theycare.Andthey’llgohomeandtell Mum&dad,‘don’twastewater—Mrs. Renaudsaidso’!” TheGreenTeamwasbornoutof recommendationsbyCESI,the CanadianEducationalStandards Institute,initsaccreditationofthe Schoolbackin2007.Sincethen, environment-savingstepshavebeen takentoreducepaperandpowerusage, amongotherdepartmentalprotocols, aswellasgenerallyraisingawareness amongstudentsandstaffaboutways tosaveenergyandcuttrash. “Wedecidedtotacklethemost importantareasfirst—likepaper,trash andelectricity—andseewherewecould gofromthere,”saysRenaud,whose teamincludesstaffrepresentativesfrom allthreedepartments,aswellasafew Secondarystudents. “Webrainstormideasandwe’ve madegreatstridessofar,allthewayto LowerPrimary,”shesays.“Whatwe hopeisthatthechildrenwillcarrythis awarenessthroughtheirlifeatthe School.Thattypeofthinkingmaynot beprevalentatthetopoftheSchool yet—butit’sgoingtogetthere.” S A LT U S M A G A Z I N E ROSEMARY JONES