News

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Above: A green space at Oakland-Scotland Public School.

Grand Erie Goes Green with EcoSchools for 13th Year

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022

Since 2010, Grand Erie schools have been showing up for sustainability in their communities in a big way, examining their environmental impact and identifying unique ways to reduce their footprint through the EcoSchools program. This initiative is designed to teach the importance of environmental learning and climate action so that our community can thrive.  

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Above: Students at Delhi Public School take part in an outdoor learning class.

As of 2022, Grand Erie is home to 15 certified EcoSchools, but this is no small undertaking. Being an EcoSchool means committing to a host of activities, projects, campaigns and checkpoints along the way to pass an assessment for the chance to become certified.

So, what does this look like across Grand Erie? Collectively this year, these schools have racked up 7,564 hours of outdoor learning, with 16 trees planted, 397 waste-free lunches, and 102 efficiency-optimized classrooms. To top it off, 67 per cent of Grand Erie schools have been EcoSchool certified for at least five years.

“I am very impressed with the work and effort of these schools (and 13 other schools who started applications this year). The hard work and accomplishments of these schools have not only helped our environment for our current students, but it has also positively impacted our environment for future generations,” said JoAnna Roberto, Director of Education, who herself was an Eco-Hawk, proudly championing environmental conservation efforts as a classroom teacher and school administrator.

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Above: An outdoor classroom at Bloomsburg Public School in Waterford featuring new trees.

“The students involved and educators involved are incredible environmental stewards who are changing attitudes and culture within their school, at home and within the wider community.”

The following schools became certified in 2021-2022:

Bronze Certification:

  • Caledonia Centennial Public School
  • Oakland-Scotland Public School
  • Walsh Public School
  • North Ward School

Silver Certification:

  • Lynndale Heights Public School
  • Hagersville Elementary School
  • River Heights School
  • Boston Public School

Gold Certification:

  • Bloomsburg Public School
  • Delhi Public School
  • Jarvis Public School
  • Seneca Central Public School

Platinum Certification:

  • Waterford District High School
  • Brantford Collegiate Institute and Vocational School
  • Onondaga-Brant Public School

Thank you to all schools who participated in the EcoSchool program this year. Your dedication to environmental stewardship for the district is inspiring!

Happy “new year”! I hope everyone had a pleasant summer holiday. It’s been nice to talk to students and parents this week about all the things you’ve done over the past two months. I’ve heard lots of stories of fun trips and relaxation. I’ve also heard a few about some more stressful experiences that life seems to always present. Whatever the past 2 months brought for you, I’m looking forward to working together again as a Boston School Family to support each other. September brings the opportunity for fresh starts and lots of reason for optimism. Each and every student is full of potential, and on a pathway that is their own unique success story (always in progress)!

This year you’ll notice that the staff is mostly the same with a few exceptions. Mrs. Huffman is off this year with her new baby. We would like to welcome Ms. Agius, who has joined us to teach the 3/4 class. We are excited to have her back as part of the Boston team! We would also like to welcome Mrs. Trembley as our new custodian. We are all in good hands with her making sure the building is in good shape!

On the first day, we had a Welcome-Back Assembly in which we committed to two very simple things this year: 1) We will always do our best

2) We will always be kind

I believe those two simple statements can guide every decision we make every day, and I’ve asked every Blazer to consider them when they are making choices.

Once again, welcome to a new school year. It’s good to be back!