Friday, April 25th Brought to you by the Bates Green School Committee Bates Green Day Friday, April 25th Brought to you by the Bates Green School Committee

Why a Green Day at Bates? As students, we need to be aware of ways to reduce pollution, decrease waste, increase habitat, limit carbon emissions, create healthy learning and living environments, both at home and at school. We are a Maryland Green School. Have you ever noticed our Green School flag waving out front? We need to be environmentally mindful to keep this status. Youth empowerment is a key component as you learn about and engage with the environment to effect change for the future of our school and of our earth.

How did we become a Maryland Green School? An application was submitted by members of the Bates Faculty and students back in 2010. The design and creation of the outdoor classroom was part of that application. The application also included other environmentally sustainable things: our recycling program, storm drain stenciling, planting of marsh grasses, our school vegetable garden and lots more! Our certification is current for 4 years. We need to reapply next year.

On GREEN DAY (FRIDAY, April 25th) each grade level and Encore will focus on a different area. 6th graders: Energy Conservation 7th graders: Habitat Restoration 8th graders: Water Conservation Encore: Solid Waste Reduction

In honor of GREEN DAY, students and faculty will be allowed to wear a GREEN shirt and jeans! Examples of GREEN tops/shirts? If you do not have a GREEN shirt, you may wear your uniform shirt with jeans. Jeans must not be skinny jeans, have holes or cargo pockets.

Waste-Free Lunch The Green School Committee wants everyone who brings a lunch to school to pack a waste-free lunch on Friday, April 25th. What is a waste-free lunch?? A Waste-Free Lunch (REUSABLE) sandwiches and other main dishes, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and treats in a reusable lunch container cloth napkins stainless-steel forks and spoons reusable drink containers reusable lunchboxes *With this type of lunch, lunch food items can be bought in larger quantities. The packaging can be left at home for reuse or recycling. Waste-free lunches are not only a wise environmental choice, but they are less expensive as well. If you buy your lunch, don’t forget to recycle!

Remember, part of being waste-free is not taking more food than you can eat! If you buy your lunch at school, remember to RECYCLE! You will learn more about school recycling this week.

And……….. If you bring a waste-free lunch or recycle correctly on Green Day………you will receive a delicious freezer pop!! (Remember, the wrapper is recyclable, too!).

So, be ready to get your GREEN on! This Friday, April 25th You may wear a green shirt and appropriate jeans Pack a waste-free lunch and remember to recycle Come with an open mind, ready to learn about how to make our world a better place!