At Jackman, the eco team is working hard to make sure everyone knows how to recycle properly. Yet, there's still one problem that continues. And the eco team has set out to change that.
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow! Wednesday's weather was perfect for our first Winter Walk-To-School Day! It was a big hit with Jackman kids and families! Snow and cold won't stop us from walking to school. Take a look at these pics...
Do you know who's it is?
- He's big! And round!
- He wears a red hat.
- He speaks French!
- He was born in 1954.
- He's 7 feet tall, weighing 400 lbs.
- He's the 'mascot' for Quebec's Winter Carnival.
"At Jackman, our schoolyard is wonderfully green. It’s been years in the making and it’s still evolving, thanks to our dedicated Outdoor Environment Committee. Our gardens are an important part of teaching, learning and playing.
We have many distinctive gardens at Jackman. There’s the ‘learning garden’, to grow beans, potatoes, squash and more. There’s the ‘butterfly garden’, to attract butterflies and other pollinators. There’s the ‘peace garden’, to encourage peace in our world. And then there’s the ‘maze’, everyone’s favourite gathering space. “Meet me in the maze,” is a familiar expression at school. Even Jackman’s roof is a garden… our infamous ‘green roof’.
Did you know… we make our own compost at Jackman? We save apple cores, banana peels and other fruit and veggie scraps to create rich soil for our gardens.
But wait… there’s more. The best thing about our schoolyard is the trees. At Jackman, we love trees! And we’ve got lots of them. They provide us shade in the summer (and plenty of leaves to rake in the autumn). They add so much beauty to our schoolyard.
We love all of our trees. Still, we have a favourite tree – the maple tree. When winter turns to spring, we tap the maple trees right here in our schoolyard. We collect sap and make maple syrup. We host our very own Maple Syrup Festival, right here at Jackman. Pancakes anyone?
Jackman just wouldn’t be Jackman without our trees and gardens. They make our school a wonderful place to be."
Cross your fingers... we just entered the Superpower Your School contest, sponsored by Staples and Earth Day Canada. The prize... $20000 of technology for our school. Sweet! "Jackman has a long history of passionate eco engagement. Staff, students and parents are committed to making a difference in our school and community. Together, we aspire to lessen our impact on the environment.
We make great efforts to divert waste from landfills. We promote waste-free lunches and snacks. We are keen composters. We are dedicated recyclers. Every year, we conduct a thorough waste audit. We have discovered that our garbage is decreasing over the years. Impressive.
A few years ago, we wrote letters to the City of Toronto, asking this simple question… “Why can’t we recycle plastic clamshell containers in Toronto?” Inspired by our letters, the city council made a change to their recycling program. We were proud to see our action make real change.
At Jackman, we’re passionate about conserving energy, with frequent messaging about powering down lights and electronics. We also recognize that walking and biking to school (instead of driving) are an important aspect of living more sustainable lives.
Teachers are increasingly shaping curriculum with eco ideas. Recycled art projects, math projects with eco data, eco-themed research projects and so much more. Students are engaged with eco learning in many ways.
We know that our ideas need inspiring communication, so we share our ideas with posters, displays, announcements and presentations. We also blog our eco ideas online for the whole world to see… jackmanecoteam.blogspot.ca
Being eco is reflected in everything we do. It’s who we are! Jackman is truly a vibrant eco school in Toronto!"
