In anticipation of Earth Day, students at Munsey Park and Shelter Rock are getting ready for Go Green Week. This week offers elementary school students the opportunity to learn about environmental challenges related to plastic. The Earth Day theme this year is Planet vs. Plastics. In alignment with this theme, each day the students will be educated on how to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic in their everyday lives. Go Green Week is sponsored by the Manhasset Student Community Association (SCA).
The elementary school principals will begin each day by reading “fun facts” related to the day’s lesson plan. These plans were created by SCA volunteers and educate students on how to minimize plastic consumption. Both schools will also be hosting recycled art contests, for which students create masterpieces made out of recycled materials. Teachers will vote on the best project, which in years past included everything from animals made out of plastic bottles, to towers made out of old cardboard.
On Friday of Go Green Week, Rachana Shah, a zero waste consultant, will be speaking to all of the elementary school students about how they can make a difference in the fight against plastic. Rachana does zero waste consulting for corporate offices, residential buildings, and food service businesses, helping them plan and launch successful organics collection programs, conducting zero waste audits, and implementing behavior change strategies to make all the programmatic changes worthwhile. Previously, Rachana worked with schools aspiring to be official NYC Zero Waste Schools by initiating composting programs and increasing awareness of the climate crisis among their communities. She is both a Beyond Plastics and Climate Reality certified Speaker. She can be reached at rachana@aspiretozero.com or visit her website at https://www.aspiretozero.com.
In line with the Go Green theme of Planet vs. Plastics, students at Shelter Rock are invited to give their plastic toys a new life by donating them to the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island. The toys will be available in the free “store” they run for families in need. Donation bins will be available at Shelter Rock Elementary School during Go Green week.
The Munsey Park Kindness Club is organizing two collections that are aligned with Go Green Week. During the week of April 15th, the club will be collecting shoes to donate to Soles4Souls, which distributes shoes throughout the United States to needy individuals. In addition, the Kindness Club is also collecting reusable bags to donate to a local food bank during the week of April 8th. Bins will be availabile by the auditorium and in the fourth-grade wing.
For students wishing to make a difference on Earth Day, April 22nd, the Manhasset Chamber of Commerce is hosting a community wide cleanup on Plandome Road from 11am – 1pm, starting at Mary Jane Davies Park.
Go Greek Week offers an opportunity for students and staff to learn about how they can reduce plastic pollution. The SCA hopes that these lessons have a positive impact on the Munsey Park and Shelter Rock communities.
—Submitted by the Manhasset SCA
Upcoming “Go Green Week” At The Manhasset Elementary Schools
