Something Fishy is going on with JKE Young Naturalists

Do you have green ideas? The JKE Environment Committee is holding its first meeting of the year on Wednesday, Nov.18, from 3:00-4:00 p.m. in the Library. All parents are welcome. We are looking for a new coordinator and helpers to organize Earth Day events and to make James Kennedy a greener school. Contact Nature Mom for more information.

The summary of our Nov. 18/09 meeting:

In Attendance: 3 teachers and 5 parents

Green School projects
(http://www.seedsfoundation.ca/greenschools.html) (http://www.bcgreengames.ca/about/for-teachers.html)
A parent will approach grade 7 leadership team and gifted program leader about seeing if there are keen students who would like to take on the role of promoting and recording green school activities.Teachers were clear they did not support additional activities in the classroom or time spent logging their environmental activities.

Earth Day/Multicultural Day

• A teacher has volunteered to put on the litterless lunch campaign again in 2010. All 3 teachers like it.
• The idea of a theme of "Toys from recycled junk made by kids around the world" was talked about. The teachers seemed interested in this as a way to combine the Multicultural and Environment themes. It might look like this: On a voluntary basis, teachers could either sign up for a Dr. Recycle workshop (I will look into the cost and availability - PAC might pay) or do a class project or project done with parents' help at home. Results could be displayed in the trophy case or hallways.
• Adopt-a-Country idea will be more fully described after the teachers talk about it some more. It might be centred around Water as a theme of importance around the world.
• The teachers said they are willing to have ONE DAY to celebrate Earth Day - as long as they are not expected to all do Earth-related curriculum in their classrooms at that time. At Dec. staff meeting more opinions and suggestions will come out.
• A parent suggested alternating Multicultural Day one year and Earth Day another year as a better way to focus and not lose sight of the main learning goal.
• A teacher suggested the third week of June might be a less stressful time to have an Earth day activity.
• We'll talk about Earth Day again in January. (Or on this forum)
• Parents wanted to make clear that it is not our goal (as parents) to add stress to teachers or dictate what they should teach, but to emphasize that protecting the environment is an important value for many JKE families, and parents who have the interest in this value and time to help would like to be partners with teachers to make a 'green' activity happen that we all agree is worth the effort.

Young Naturalists' Club
There is a parent group willing to coordinate the Young Naturalists' Club in the Spring. Materials and "How To" will be stored in a container in PAC Room.