by Erin Moir, Ontario EcoSchools Assessor
It all started in November 2017, with six teachers and one administrator attending an Ontario EcoSchools introductory workshop. Then the ultimate question was “Now what do we do?”
“Well, we started with our yearly planner,” explains Colleen Hannah, principal and lead for the Ontario EcoSchools program at St. Francis French Immersion Catholic School, a school with 297 students, nestled on a quiet street in Sault Ste Marie.
“We wanted to start small,” continues Hannah, “as this was our learning/planning year, and our plans for the schoolyard will be implemented this spring and summer. We have certainly learned a lot!”
This May, working as an Ontario EcoSchools assessor, I had the pleasure of meeting the staff, administration and students at St. Francis French Immersion during their annual EcoSchool visit. As I walked into the school I was greeted with bulletin boards of “I Love my Planet” and a display of fundraising initiatives for a new school ground greening project that is set to break ground this spring.
From strong curriculum connections to interesting environmental stewardship projects, St. Francis successfully certified as an Ontario EcoSchool for the 2017-2018 school year. Students interpreted the Lorax, created collaborative art projects, and engaged in discussion with visiting students from Thailand to better understand environmental challenges from around the world. Throughout the school students were immersed in strong environmental learning and action.
In addition to in-class learning, the EcoSchools program asks schools to go above and beyond curriculum to include the entire school in unique environmental stewardship campaigns. Many schools host Earth Month or participate in a school battery recycling challenge. St. Francis French Immersion School completed both of these campaigns and completed a unique campaign based on the local needs of their community.
Students decided to ask for donations of old stuffed animals that may have otherwise ended up in the landfill. They took each donated stuffed animal, sewed in a squeaker, and then donated the new toys to animals at the local humane society. It was a great way to reuse stuffed animals and make a donation to a community organization! For another future project, the school was recently approached by a community member to enter into a partnership aimed at recycling shoes. St. Francis’ Soles for Souls partnership will encourage community members to “Give shoes, Give love, Go Green!”
During the school visit in May, the students were quiet, but talked about their school year, and the newly minted team had a full binder that kept all their meeting records and notes about school projects. As we walked around the school, students highlighted their bulletin board full of EcoTeam messaging and pointed out how all the unoccupied classrooms had their lights out.
Hannah again shared her reflections on the year, “We are proud of what we have accomplished this year. Not really knowing how the program works or where we would go with projects – we seemed to accomplish a lot.”
Next year, Hannah will move on to a different school but has guided the new administrator through the EcoSchools program. She feels the life lessons and practicality of the program are important for instilling environmental stewardship in young students. This was echoed by Stephanie MacWilliam, one of the teacher leads of their EcoSchools program, “The EcoSchools program was an incredible experience for teachers and students alike. It gave us a framework for discussions about environmental issues and gave the students a voice in how they could be agents of change.”
When the student EcoTeam members reflected upon their experiences, they said, “Being an EcoSchool is great because it brings awareness to the students and teachers within the school as well as the larger community”.
It’ll be exciting to see what next year holds for this vibrant, eco-active school!
Background: 17 Northwestern Schools certify as Ontario EcoSchools
In addition to Huron Superior Catholic District School Board, Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board, Lakehead Public Schools, Superior Greenstone District School Board and Keewatin Patricia District School Board have collectively certified 17 schools and joined a movement of 1,900 certified schools across the province.
This success has been supported through the second year of a partnership between Ontario EcoSchools and EcoSuperior Environmental Programs, a Thunder Bay-based non-profit that supports and promotes environmental stewardship throughout the Lake Superior Basin. The partnership has allowed Erin Moir, Northern Outreach Coordinator, to provide local resources and year-round regional support.
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