The Eco Team has had a busy Fall/Winter term, bringing various initiatives into action.

They kicked off the new school year by welcoming new members to the team and electing the Eco Executive Team. and planting our Eco Wall. So many Eco events The focus in September was to promote sustainability within the school community. The team planted their Eco-Wall, community nature walk and cleanup and to that end each TAP group was challenged to create an Eco T-Shirt design with the winning design being awarded house points and being printed on the new Eco Team t-shirt. On September 20th, we had our first community nature walk and cleanup. TAP groups collected garbage and recycling. The bags were all weighed and results were shared with both the school and parent community. That same afternoon, we welcomed Kevin from Just Vertical. Kevin provided the girls with a lot of insight on hydroponic walls, discussed the various plants and showed the team how to take care of the seedlings and harvest the plants.

In October we took part in Take Me Outside Day 2023, prepared a Halloween Eco Kahoot Activity, and we worked on weeding, mulching and winterizing. our native species garden. On October 18, all students were invited to go outside in their TAP groups and create a masterpiece using collected items from nature. A lot of fun and creative designs were created. The Recycling Station is now all set up to welcome your used batteries, dried up markers and pop tabs and pop caps.

November was filled with planning, making posters and spreading the word about our various initiatives which included the Energy Hog and the Lights off Campaign where we invited every students and teacher within the community to make a pledge on how they plan on reducing energy.

December was very exciting! The girls had a blast collecting, washing and painting rocks. The results were one of a kind and these were sold as part of the annual Eco Fundraiser during the Christmas Concert. Thank you to all who contributed. The remainder of the rocks will be used as a creative and fun addition to the outdoor classroom.

Looking Ahead: Our Battery Drive is still happening so please save your batteries. This campaign runs until mid May. A A Bag2School campaign is booked for the month of April so save your used clothing, shoes, etc… The Eco Team will also be hosting a National Sweater Day and Bring Your Own Mug for Hot Chocolate Day in February. So many events are being planned for the coming months! We can’t wait to see what the New Year brings. Stay tuned!

- Ms. Rima Makari, Eco Club Faculty Advisor