Kramer Elementary Students Defeat the Grease Monst

By:

On April 3rd, 4th and 5th, grease fighters from the Dallas Water Utilities Department held classes with all Kindergarten -5th grade students to arm them with  knowledge needed to defeat the grease monster in Dallas. The 45 minute class taught the students the proper way to dispose of grease and fats left over from cooking. The students learned that fat and grease are two different things. Grease comes from cooking meat and should be disposed of by using sealable bags or tin cans. It is then thrown away in the trash. This spurred creative thinking because students had a hard time with the idea of throwing it in the trash. Surely it could be useful in some way. They learned that oil comes from vegetables and can be recycled to be used as biofuel. They learned that neither fats nor grease should be thrown down the sink or drain. This would cause a major stoppage in our water pipes and would cause many problems for citizens and the city water department. 

Students were then charged with the homework assignment of taking home some information and tools (grease bags, reusable plastic tin can lids and a list of oil collection areas in our city) to teach their parents and family members what they had learned.

Flyers were sent home to let parents know that we would have a Used Cooking Oil Drive to collect used cooking oil at our Earth Day celebration on April 20th. Some students brought 1-2 gallons of used cooking oil. Many students, to our delight, said they did not use much cooking oil at their house. Hopefully, our good nutritional eating habits are starting to take form.

All in all, Kramer students and staff had a great time learning about the proper way to dispose of oils and grease. Thanks to the Dallas Water Utilities Department and their grease fighting teachers, we will defeat the grease monster in Dallas.  We are looking forward to having the program presented to our parents at a fall PTA program.

Charlotte Ochoa      P.E. coach                                        

Cathy Southwick       Garden and Science teacher