Willis Lane Elementary's Greenprint

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   ECO-CAMPUS                                                                                                                                             Category: Energy

     Last Out, Lights Out

• Last Out, Lights Out is a program designed to promote a reduction in energy consumption by educating students and staff on the importance of turning the lights out or electronics off when not in use. Neon green signs with the programs slogan “Last Out, Lights Out” are posted above each light switch in the building.
• The purpose on this activity is to remind staff and students that when the lights or other items such as the computers are not in use, they should be turned off or powered off to help reduce the amount of energy used by the school. 
• The whole school is involved in this energy saving activity.
• The amount of energy used is recorded through the Keller school district’s energy audit, which compares the previous year’s monthly usage to the current year’s monthly usage.
• No budget will be necessary for this project.
• The activity will be ongoing throughout the year.

 Category: Recycle/Waste

      Waste Free Lunch and Snack Week

• We will promote a waste free lunch and snack week by distributing flyers and creating a display to remind students to be conscious of their own waste production.
• The purpose of the activity is to reduce the amount of waste students produce during lunch and snack time at school and educate students about their environmental impact.
• Students, staff, and the PTA will be involved in the event.
• We will photograph students who bring good examples of waste free lunches.
• The budget will be $10 to promote the event.
• Waste free lunch and snack week will occur April 16-20, 2012.

 Willis Lane Recycles Week

• We will promote recycling awareness with the following activities:
• Send out information via e-mail & flyers and create signage in the cafeteria to encourage the use of new and existing recycling bins at school.
• Set up recycling bins for three new recycling programs through Terracycle which includes Elmer’s glue, lunch kits, and drink pouches.
• Offer electronic waste pick up at the school for parents and staff to recycle e-waste such as computers, keyboards, monitors, printers, batteries, and household appliances.
• Sponsor a “wear green” day to remind students of the importance of recycling.
•  The purpose of these activities is to reduce waste and to promote recycling both at school and home.
• Students, staff, parents, and the PTA will all be involved in Willis Lane Recycles Week.
• We will photograph new recycling signage and the students & staff on “wear green” day.
• The budget will be $12 for paper and two cardboard recycle bins.
• Willis Lane Recycles week will occur November 14 – 18, 2011.

 We CAN Recycle Program 

• The students will decorate large, recycled cans that will be placed in the center on the cafeteria tables each day. Then, the students sitting at that table will place their recyclables in the can when they are finished with their lunch. Each classroom will have one recycle representative that is in charge of the cans and will then empty the recycling into the appropriate bin. The recycle representatives will also help remind their fellow students to recycle and what can and cannot be recycled.
• The purpose of the activity is to promote recycling and to create awareness in all students as to what can be recycled at school.
• The whole school will be involved in this activity.
• We will photograph students participating in this recycling effort.
• There is no need for a budget since the cans were donated by a local restaurant and the students will decorate the cans using scraps from their classroom recycling bins.
• The cans will be decorated by December 2011 and the recycling program will occur throughout the school year.

 Category: Water

      One World Challenge Contest

• In conjunction with the Texas PTA, we will facilitate the One World Challenge contest with the theme of “Tapped Out: Protecting and Conserving Our Water Resources”.
• The purpose of the activity is to encourage students to create a solution to address the protection and conservation of our water resources.
• The contest will be open to all students at Willis Lane Elementary.
• We will post photos and/or videos of all award winning submissions.
• The budget will be $30 paper for contest guidelines and entry forms and required shipping.
• The contest rules will be distributed in January, 2012 with a deadline of February 29, 2012 for all submission.

NATURE ADVENTURE                                                                                                             Category: Exploration and Play

Restoration of the Willis Lane Outdoor Learning Facility (WOLF)

• We will restore the Willis Lane Outdoor Learning Facility by clearing out the overgrown weeds, repairing damaged wood, and planting new water wise plants.
• The purpose of the activity is to create an outdoor, educational, green space where students can learn about plants and nature.
• Keller area Girl Scout and Cub Scouts, student and parent volunteers, and the PTA will all take part in the restoration project.  Assistance from the local Home Depot will be solicited as well.
• We will photograph the area before and after the restoration and video the completed project to give a better overview of the restored outdoor facility.
• The budget will be $100 for plants and supplies.
• Clean up of the area will begin in December, 2011 and the restoration will be complete in March, 2012.

      Kindergarten Field Trip to Fort Worth Botanic Gardens

• All Kindergarten students will visit the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. The students will observe and record findings in the gardens in their "Springtime Super Sleuths" booklet.  Items they will be looking for and recording include weather, rocks, water, soil, insects, plants, and environment as well as their personal experiences on the garden field trip.
• The purpose of this activity is to apply the knowledge of the current and past science units of study to real-world observations and experiences, while allowing students to experience the natural world. 
• All kindergarten students, teachers, and specified number of parent volunteers will take part in the field trip.
• The activity will be recorded through photos, journal entries reflecting on the experience, and the information booklets used to guide the student on what to look for at the gardens.
• The park has free admittance, and the cost of the buses will be covered by school.
• The field trip will occur during the last week of our study on plants, April 2-5, 2012.

Category: Outdoor Skills

Outdoor Physical Education

• The Physical Education teachers will take students outside for their class time.
• The purpose of this activity is to allow students to have extra room to exercise and enable them to experience the outdoors as a classroom.
• All students and PE teachers will be involved in this activity.
• The activity will be recorded through photos and lesson plans.
• All supplies have been previously purchased so there will be no budget for this activity.
• This activity will occur throughout the year, weather permitting.

HEALTH & FITNESS                                                                                                         Category: Healthy Lifestyles

International Walk to School Day

• We will encourage students to participate in International Walk to School Day by sending home flyers and posting signs around school.
• The purpose of the activity is to promote increased physical activity and reduced traffic congestion and pollution.
• Willis Lanestudents, parents, and the PTA will be involved in this event.
• We will photograph students walking to and from school.
• The budget will be $10 for flyers to promote the event.
• Walk to School Day will occur October 6, 2011.

  Boosterthon Fun Run: a candy-free fundraiser

• The students collect pledges in advance and then on the day of the event, they run and walk laps to music for a 30-45 minute time frame based on the age of the students.
• The purpose of the Fun Run is to promote the benefits of physical fitness, while raising money for the school.
• All K – 4 students, teachers, and school staff will be involved in the event.
• The students will be photographed as they participate in the Fun Run.
• Since this is a fundraiser and will be run by the Boosterthon staff, no budget is needed.
• The Fun Run will be held February 16, 2012.

 Pre-Lunch Recess

• The students take a 15-20 minute recess outdoors prior to their lunch time.
• Studies have shown that children who have recess placement prior to lunch as an alternative to after lunch recess, consume significantly more food and nutrients and waste less food.
• Kindergarten, 1st grade, 3rd grade and 4th grade all participate in pre-lunch recess.
• This activity is recorded on our school master schedule and will be photographed.
• There is no budget required for this activity.
• Pre-lunch recess occurs throughout the school year, Aug. 2011 – June 2012, weather and ozone status permitting.

 Category: Fitness & Physical Education

      Morning Mile

• Starting in November, we will begin offering the Morning Mile program at our school. The Morning Mile is a before school walking/running program designed to let students begin each day in an active, healthy, and fun way.
• The purpose of this program is to fight childhood obesity, increase the physical activity levels of school children, and help students focus once the school day begins.
• Student, parents, and teachers will be involved in this program.
• The activity will be recorded through photos, student sign-in sheets, and recorded miles.
• The budget will be $1000 for supplies, rewards, and materials.
• The Morning Mile will be offered each school morning, weather permitting. It will begin November 28, 2011 and run through the end of the school year.

NATURAL CLASSROOMS                                                                                                            Category: Stewardship

Willis Lane Earth Week Celebration

• We will promote Earth friendly activities throughout the week such as:
  • Display reminders in the cafeteria about ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
  • Promote a waste free lunch and snack week and the use it again challenge (reuse something 3 times throughout the week).
  • Encourage each class to adopt an earth week project. Examples include school grounds clean up, plant a tree, learn how to make recycled paper, make bird houses, or a lesson plan covering The Lorax.
• The purpose of the activity is to empower students to become environmental stewards within the context of their own lives.
• Willis Lane students, parents, staff, and the PTA will be involved in this event.
• We will photograph/video weekly events and class projects.
• The budget will be $10 for paper and supplies to promote the event.
• Earth Week will occur April 16-20, 2012.    

 Earth Friendly Announcements

• Earth friendly tips and facts will be read as part of the morning announcements.
• The purpose of the announcements is to encourage students and faculty to be earth friendly by relaying tips and facts about recycling, water conservation, and energy use.
• All students and staff members will watch the morning announcements.
• The activity will be recorded through photographs and documenting announcements read.
• There will be no budget for this activity.
• The announcements will begin November 16, 2011 and will continue throughout the school year.

 Creative Recycling using Science

• In this activity, students are asked to make instruments using recycled materials. The students will then share their instruments with the class in order to compare and contrast different sounds and demonstrate materials used in their individual projects.
• The purpose of this lesson is to educate students about the importance of reusing or recycling objects instead of throwing them away.
• The 2nd grade class will participate in this activity.
• This activity will be recorded through photos.
• Since recycled materials are used, there is no budget for this activity.
• The activity will take place in October, 2011.

 Creative Recycling using Math Skills

• Students will use recycled items to build geometric cities in this activity.
• The purpose is for students to use recycled materials to demonstrate and review the prior lessons on geometric shapes.
• The 2nd grade class will participate in this activity and will complete projects in small groups.
• Photos will be taken to record this activity.
• There will be no budget required.
• The activity will take place in February, 2012.    

 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle  

• There students will complete activities to learn how to reduce, reuse, and recycle, such as:
  • Create a tree map (Saving for the Future) using conservation counts.
  • Participate in the Helping or Harming game.
  • Visit the EPA’s Recycle City website, which shows a town where all the garbage is sent to a landfill and demonstrates the positive effects made when the students put waste reduction programs in place.
• The purpose of this activity is for the students to learn the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling and see how they can make a difference in their environment impact.
• All 3rd grade students and teachers will be involved in the lesson.
• Since only previously purchased school supplies will be used, there will be no budget.
• The activity will take place in the spring of 2012.

Category: Field Investigation

Daytime Sky Observations

• Students will complete a field investigation lesson on the daytime sky through observation and drawing.
• The purpose of this activity is to tap into and build schema for actual objects by having students observe and record what they see in the sky.
• All kindergarten students will participate in the activity.
• The students will record their observations through pictures and we will document the lesson through photos.
• There is no cost associated with this project.
• The activity will occur October 20, 2011.

 Plant Study

• Students will use field investigation to observe plants and then record their observations by drawing the parts of plants in their science/nature journals.
• The purposes of the lesson are to learn about the variety of plants found in grassland and tundra biomes and identify the plant parts.
• The second grade students will participate in this activity; teachers will lead the lesson.
• This activity will be recorded through photos.
• There is no budget required for this activity.
• The lesson will occur in February, 2012.