Riderwood is Active in our Community
Our school has reached out to the community in several ways to spread the message about taking care of our environment. Below is a summary list followed by additional details:
Our school has reached out to the community in several ways to spread the message about taking care of our environment. Below is a summary list followed by additional details:
- Donation to Cromwell Valley Park
- Decorated Bags for Mars Supermarkets
- Destination Imagination Team
- First Lego League Robotics Competition
- Newspaper articles and recognition from the community
Donation to Cromwell Valley Park
Date: May/June 2013
Riderwood raised money for the charities of their choice by collecting juice pouches and chip backs through the terracycle program. (See BMP Solid Waste Reduction.) The Green Team decided to donate a portion of the money, $250, to CVP for all their help on our Green School journey. The students got even more involved in the donation by voting on how CVP should spend the money. CVP created a video, shown on the morning announcements, describing three items that they needed for their nature center: small tanks to transport animals, a wingspan banner to show the lengths of wingspans of large birds, and food for the animals in the nature center (featuring an appearance by their corn snake on the video!). Then, the students got to vote during library. The letter from our principal to CVP says it all:
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Dear Cromwell Valley Park Council,
On behalf of Riderwood Elementary School, I present to you a check for $250 to be used for projects at the Willow Grove Nature Education Center. Our students raised this money through the Terracycle program by recycling juice pouches and chip bags. Because your staff has been so helpful in our Green School efforts and because our kindergarteners enjoy your field trips, we are pleased to make this donation to your park.
Via video on the morning announcements, Justine Schaeffer presented three possible options for spending the money: tanks, wingspan banner, and food for the animals in the nature center. The students enthusiastically debated the options and, using an electronic voting system in our library, cast individual ballots. They selected tanks, so please use this money for new tanks in addition to the other projects as you see fit.
Thank you so much for partnering with us!
Sincerely,
Kathy DeHart, Principal
Date: May/June 2013
Riderwood raised money for the charities of their choice by collecting juice pouches and chip backs through the terracycle program. (See BMP Solid Waste Reduction.) The Green Team decided to donate a portion of the money, $250, to CVP for all their help on our Green School journey. The students got even more involved in the donation by voting on how CVP should spend the money. CVP created a video, shown on the morning announcements, describing three items that they needed for their nature center: small tanks to transport animals, a wingspan banner to show the lengths of wingspans of large birds, and food for the animals in the nature center (featuring an appearance by their corn snake on the video!). Then, the students got to vote during library. The letter from our principal to CVP says it all:
/uploads/1/8/1/3/18132917/cvp_terracyle.doc
Dear Cromwell Valley Park Council,
On behalf of Riderwood Elementary School, I present to you a check for $250 to be used for projects at the Willow Grove Nature Education Center. Our students raised this money through the Terracycle program by recycling juice pouches and chip bags. Because your staff has been so helpful in our Green School efforts and because our kindergarteners enjoy your field trips, we are pleased to make this donation to your park.
Via video on the morning announcements, Justine Schaeffer presented three possible options for spending the money: tanks, wingspan banner, and food for the animals in the nature center. The students enthusiastically debated the options and, using an electronic voting system in our library, cast individual ballots. They selected tanks, so please use this money for new tanks in addition to the other projects as you see fit.
Thank you so much for partnering with us!
Sincerely,
Kathy DeHart, Principal
Decorated Bags for Mars Supermarkets
Date: April 2013
During Earth Week in art class, 3rd graders decorated grocery bags from Mars with environmental messages. We then gave them back to the store so customers could celebrate Earth Week with us! (See Celebration.)
Date: April 2013
During Earth Week in art class, 3rd graders decorated grocery bags from Mars with environmental messages. We then gave them back to the store so customers could celebrate Earth Week with us! (See Celebration.)
Destination Imagination Team
Grades: 3rd, 4th, and 5th
Date: February 2013
Riderwood's Destination Imagination Team combined creativity and learning about recycling to capture 2nd place in the 2013 statewide Destination Imagination competition. Charged with the task of teaching others how to improve their recycling on a daily basis, our "Imagineers" used skits, costumes and songs in their presentation, "The Earth is Our Mother. Take Care of Her." The team was facilitated by teacher Bridget Watson and parent volunteers.
Grades: 3rd, 4th, and 5th
Date: February 2013
Riderwood's Destination Imagination Team combined creativity and learning about recycling to capture 2nd place in the 2013 statewide Destination Imagination competition. Charged with the task of teaching others how to improve their recycling on a daily basis, our "Imagineers" used skits, costumes and songs in their presentation, "The Earth is Our Mother. Take Care of Her." The team was facilitated by teacher Bridget Watson and parent volunteers.
First Lego League Robotics Competition
Grades: 4th and 5th
Date: January 2014
Even the members of Riderwood's Lego League are learning to take care of the environment! The theme of this year's regional competition was "Nature's Fury" and teams had to program a robot to perform various feats to clean up after a natural disaster. They also researched and presented a project about creating a hydroelectric solution to a power outage caused by a tsunami. The team earned a second place trophy in Core Values (teamwork)!
Led by teachers Lynn Detter and Laura Wingate, the team of 10 students was mentored by Robert Bollinger, a robotics engineer from Proctor and Gamble.
Grades: 4th and 5th
Date: January 2014
Even the members of Riderwood's Lego League are learning to take care of the environment! The theme of this year's regional competition was "Nature's Fury" and teams had to program a robot to perform various feats to clean up after a natural disaster. They also researched and presented a project about creating a hydroelectric solution to a power outage caused by a tsunami. The team earned a second place trophy in Core Values (teamwork)!
Led by teachers Lynn Detter and Laura Wingate, the team of 10 students was mentored by Robert Bollinger, a robotics engineer from Proctor and Gamble.
Newspaper articles and recognition from the community:
1. Article in Towson Times about our Habitat Restoration, April 2013
1. Article in Towson Times about our Habitat Restoration, April 2013
Additional pictures of the students gardening were included in the online edition of the paper:
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2. Letter from State Senator James Brochin
After seeing the coverage in the Towson Times, State Senator Brochin sent the school a note of support and congratulations, which we posted on the Green School bulletin board.
Click here for Sen. Brochin note:_
After seeing the coverage in the Towson Times, State Senator Brochin sent the school a note of support and congratulations, which we posted on the Green School bulletin board.
Click here for Sen. Brochin note:_
3. Article in Towson Times about our Earth Day celebration, May 2013
Riderwood had a trash-free lunch day and vegetable-tasting in the cafeteria to culminate Earth Week and we made the local paper again!
Riderwood had a trash-free lunch day and vegetable-tasting in the cafeteria to culminate Earth Week and we made the local paper again!
4. Article in BCPS weekly newsletter about our first Trash-Free Lunch Day
The newsletter highlights weekly activities of note in Baltimore County Public Schools and is distributed to all school employees. Our first trash-free lunch day is included on page 4:
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The newsletter highlights weekly activities of note in Baltimore County Public Schools and is distributed to all school employees. Our first trash-free lunch day is included on page 4:
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