Killaloe Public School has earned a platinum certification from Eco Schools Canada for the fourth year in a row.
Principal Jude Kelley said Eco Schools provides a framework to implement initiatives to make schools more eco-friendly, rooted in the Ontario curriculum.
Kelley said the school has a large Green Team, which helps plan out what activities they want to complete throughout the year to earn points towards their certification.
Activities this year included Sweater Day in February, when the students wear sweaters to school and they lower the heat, planting and harvesting plants at Hoch Farms and a partnership with Staples to recycle dried-out markers.
Kelley said one of the students’ favourites was a “Trash-ion Show” where they made outfits out of repurposed materials.
She said the students are fully engaged and their efforts provide a feeling of purpose.
“The Green Team efforts really reflect the values of the Killaloe community, which include things like caring for one another, taking pride in their surroundings and working together to create a sustainable future,” she said.
Twenty schools from the Renfrew County District School Board participated in Eco Schools this year and seven earned certifications, including a gold certification for Eganville & District Public School.
