South Brunswick Schools Celebrate Earth Day All Year Long

Earth Day came a bit late for some of South Brunswick's schools, as the actual day came during spring break, but that didn't stop students and staff from celebrating efforts to make the world a better place.  Brooks Crossing Elementary School and Indian Fields Elementary School both held programs last week that extended a year-round message to the students about what they can do to protect the environment.

"This program is really just an extension of what we do all year long," said Enrichment Support teacher Samantha Siegelheim.  "We teach them that they're responsible for the Earth when they leave school and that they should always look to do something to make the world a better place."

The initiative began several years ago with the creation of Green Committees, which organized staff and students at the schools into groups that looked at what changes could be put in place to help the environment.  The committee's ideas lead to programs being put in place, such as composting.

"At this school we compost, and the materials left over from our snacks and fruits we just basically compost so it can be turned into soil," said Brooks Crossing fifth-grader and Green Committee member Rohith Kariveda.  "Earth Day for me is a special day because we take the time to look at ways we can take care of the Earth and make it a better place.  To me, everyday should be Earth Day."

Siegelheim said the simple idea they want to instill in students is that they're stewards for the planet and must take the necessary steps to take care of the Earth for future generations.  She said the students know this can be done through reducing waste, recycling and and reusing materials.  The students were proud to show how much they learned as part of the ongoing efforts of the various Green Committees.

"We need to protect our oceans and our rain forests so the world is a better place when we grow up," said Brooks Crossing fifth-grader Vikrant Pulipati.  "We need to use trucks and cars as little as possible."

Siegelheim said the ongoing programs about conservation efforts also branch into other subject areas, like Social Studies and Science, as students learn about the scientific process and the life cycle of plants.  In addition, students are taught about the impact of trash heaps in the ocean filled with plastics, which cause the deaths of animals from the bottom of the food chain to the top.

"This is about citizenship," Siegelheim said.  "We're teaching them they have a responsibility and that their actions have consequences.  When they throw garbage in the trash and recycle plastics, then that helps with the ecosystems."

Brooks Crossing Green Committee students James Lee and Manisha Kannan both agreed the event is a time to celebrate cleaning up the world to make it a better place for future generations.  

"The kids always say we have to get the message out there," Siegelheim said.  "They get it, so they're enthusiastic to say the least."

Indian Fields Principal Kim Maloy-White said its crucial to begin teaching students the importance of conservation from the beginning of their schooling.

"This helps them to develop an understanding at such a young age," she said.  "They understand at their age level that the world will be theirs someday so they work together to come up with some great ideas."

Siegelheim praised the work of staff members Amie Chando, Alice Priano, Martha Slettland, Erin Patschke and Melissa Johnsen, among others, for their contributions and also praised contributions from Home Depot, KC Excavation, Acme Emblem Corporation and Brooks Crossing principal Jodi Mahoney for making it possible for the students to bring a flower to grow for Mother's Day.

Indian Fields third-grade teacher Donald Sweeney said the Earth Day event was just an extension of what the students learn about all year.

"One of the core values in this district is responsibility, so we talk a lot about little things we can do, like turning off the water while we brush our teeth," he said.  "All year long we talk about current events, taking care of ourselves and each other, while looking at the bigger picture."

Indian Fields fifth-grade Green Committee members Aishwarya Ramaswamy, Claudia Cohen, Sivani Divakarla and Fatima Kashif were driving forces among students for establishing the committee at the school.  They all said the goal of the committee is to teach other students about little things they can do at home to make the world a better place.

"We're role models for the entire school and as fifth-graders we need to show the younger students how they should act," Aishwarya said.  "We all want to make the world a better place and we're willing to give up our playtime to do it."

Each student shared suggestions for little things kids can do at home, such as not wasting electricity by turning off the lights and never staying in the shower for more than 15 minutes to conserve water.

"I also think everyone should always remember to recycle and we should all plant more flowers to make the world pretty," Claudia said.

As the charter members of the Green Committee, the students said they hope other kids will follow their example and keep the committee going after they move on to sixth grade, where they hope to establish a new Green Committee at Crossroads Middle School.

"You're never too young to make a difference," Aishwarya said.  "We all hope the Green Committee will go on because it's a tradition now.  We'll be legendary, the people who started it all.  We hope that we had an influence on the younger students."

The dedication of the Green Committee students to changing people's mindsets and offering tips for conservation even extends to when they're getting interviewed for an article.

"You know, you should really use both sides of your notebook when you interview people to conserve paper," Aishwarya said.

I will Aishwarya, I promise.