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Hollydale Elementary School’s resource conservation program is certainly one to be admired. With a dedicated head custodian, supportive principal, energetic staff and ready, willing and able students, no wonder their program is a success! Situated within the Energy Star award-winning Gresham-Barlow School District, the school addresses energy conservation through its student Watt Watchers program. Third-grade students form the team and monitor the school, keeping their eyes open for energy-saving (and energy-wasting) actions. At Hollydale, if you leave the room and forget to turn out the lights, you might find a reminder “ticket” left by a Watt Watcher waiting for you when you return!
The school boasts a comprehensive recycling program which involves 5th grade students as “Wastebusters.” These students educate others about reducing, reusing and recycling and collect the school’s recyclables weekly. Because of its outstanding recycling program, Hollydale was recently selected by the City of Gresham to participate in a food waste/organics recycling pilot project. As a result of gathering food waste from the cafeteria and kitchen for off-site composting, the volume of garbage from those areas has been almost cut in half! With a student population of 475 and staff numbering 55, the school is currently generating only 4 cubic yards of garbage each week.
Students, staff and parents alike enjoy the school’s Nature Area, which includes a pond, raised garden beds, a composter, recycled plastic picnic benches and bunnies. The area is used as a living lab, and 4th and 5th grade students serve as “Habitat Helpers” as either Animal Leaders or Plant Leaders. The school’s environmental influence reaches far beyond
the school grounds. Each year all students in grades 1-5 participate
in an Earth Day activity, which combines an educational component
with public service. And in order to promote recycling in the community,
Hollydale’s after school enrichment class produced a video
that was shown on cable TV at a School Board meeting – and
at the 2006 Oregon Green Schools Summit.
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