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.  

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.

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!

Good Food Adds Up to Good Learning at Courtland Pubic School

Evidence suggests that breakfast and snack programs in schools:

• Improves children’s school performance, memory and test grades
• Enhances students’ physical, emotional, social and intellectual development
• Increases attendance rates, particularly for nutritionally at risk children
• Provides additional time for children to eat and drink nutritious breakfasts and snacks
• Provides energy for students to be more physically
• Enhances nutritional status of students by replacing the consumption of foods with low nutritional value with more nutritious choices, such as more vegetables and fruit
• Promotes a sense of community by bringing people together to ensure all children are well-nourished
• Leads to better dietary habits by increasing the frequency of eating breakfast
• Reduces the prevalence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies

With the generous support of the Child Nutrition Network and the Grand Erie District School Board, the school was able to renovate a room in the school into a nutrition program kitchen. Funds provided by the Child Nutrition Network and school fundraising monies purchase the good food and materials needed to run the program.

Every morning at 8 a.m., parent volunteers and their children arrive to prepare and distribute the food for the day. This program would not happen without their enthusiastic support.

Each serving of food includes a dairy product (i.e. yogurt, cheese string), a grain product (i.e. crackers, mixed cereal, muffin, whole wheat bun) and a fruit product (i.e. apple, banana, clementine orange, grapes, juice) or a vegetable product (i.e. cucumber slices, raw carrots). A container filled with food is delivered to each classroom and as children get settled for a day of learning, staff and students are encouraged to help themselves to a delicious and nutritious start to the day.

“Nutrition programs, such as the one at Courtland Public School, are happening in many schools within the Grand Erie District School Board. It’s a huge effort supported by the Board, volunteers and community agencies. Working together, it’s amazing what can be done. We feel most grateful to have this opportunity for our Courtland school community”, says principal Deb Opersko.

Roots of Empathy

Courtland Public School offers the Roots of Empathy program in our Kindergarten A classroom. Our Early Childhood Educator, Mrs. L. Wildman is a trained Roots of Empathy instructor. Our Roots of Empathy baby and her mom are welcome visitors to the classroom.

An explanation of program, from the Roots of Empathy website is included below:

Roots of Empathy is an evidence-based classroom program that has shown significant effect in reducing levels of aggression among schoolchildren by raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy. The program reaches elementary schoolchildren from Kindergarten to Grade 8. In Canada, the program is delivered in English and French and reaches rural, urban, and remote communities including Aboriginal communities. Roots of Empathy is also delivered in New Zealand, the United States, Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Emotional Literacy

At the heart of the program are a neighbourhood infant and parent who visit the classroom every three weeks over the school year. A trained Roots of Empathy Instructor coaches students to observe the baby's development and to label the baby's feelings. In this experiential learning, the baby is the "Teacher" and a lever, which the instructor uses to help children identify and reflect on their own feelings and the feelings of others. This "emotional literacy" taught in the program lays the foundation for more safe and caring classrooms, where children are the "Changers". They are more competent in understanding their own feelings and the feelings of others (empathy) and are therefore less likely to physically, psychologically and emotionally hurt each other through bullying and other cruelties. In the

Roots of Empathy program children learn how to challenge cruelty and injustice. Messages of social inclusion and activities that are consensus building contribute to a culture of caring that changes the tone of the classroom. The Instructor also visits before and after each family visit to prepare and reinforce teachings using a specialized lesson plan for each visit. Research results from national and international evaluations of Roots of Empathy indicate significant reductions in aggression and increases in pro-social behaviour.