Systemic Sustainability
1.1 Environmental Curriculum & Instruction
1.1 Environmental Curriculum & Instruction
Elementary & middle schools must provide one example of outdoor/environmental instruction per grade level.
High schools must provide four different examples of outdoor/environmental instruction. These examples can be from any grade level but must show four distinct subject areas/classes (which may include multiple different sciences).
Students collected water quality data from different locations from Big Pool using canoes.
Student performing water chemistry tests
Student performing water quality tests
Student collecting water sample for the BOD test from a canoe
We used gps on cell phones, so AGPS, to calculate the distances between various targets on campus. We’re then using some trigonometric formulas like Heron’s Area formula to calculate the areas of various triangular plats of land outside. This is to culminate a trig unit. The calculations that we’re doing are similar to what we do on the annual national Trig Star competition. Our precalc students all compete in this annual competition where there is guaranteed a school and county winner.
Students completing GPS assignment outdoors; using the high school campus
Students completing GPS assignment outdoors; using the high school campus
Students completing GPS assignment outdoors; using the high school campus
English classes walked to the pond and did a Nature/Literary Fusion lesson there.
English classes walked to the pond and did a Nature/Literary Fusion lesson there.
English classes walked to the pond and did a Nature/Literary Fusion lesson there.
English classes walked to the pond and did a Nature/Literary Fusion lesson there.
Spanish IV & AP students studied the importance of national parks throughout the world. They researched activities that you can do in local national parks and created infographics on the various national parks of Spain. The unit ended with an AP test task where they had to speak for 2 minutes on the importance/relevance of national parks.
This was during COVID and students were at home. Students completed a Flipgrid as part of the assignment. Students are researching National Parks throughout the world to determine there importance and relevance.
This was during COVID. Teacher sent me copy of the lesson with links. Students are researching National Parks throughout the world to determine there importance and relevance
Students prepare plants to sell to the community, utilizing the school green house.
Students growing plants to sell to the community
Students maintaining plants in the greenhouse
Students preparing hanging baskets.
Students cleaning up the garden area around the greenhouse.
Students created a herb garden in the raised beds by the agriculture building. Horticulture students will practice food preservation of these herbs and vegetables.
Students planting the raised bed garden.
Students preparing the raised bed garden.
Students in Spanish class, discovered and discussed trail systems that they'd like to explore, what they'd need to prepare for a hike, and what cultural significance the local trails might have to the people that use them (here and in the Andes/Bolivia)
Teacher plan
Screenshot of student video discussing that trails they picked.
Student work sample from lesson
Earth Day / Environmental Legislation This is the lesson that accompanies those photos. It was completed with my Honors US Studies II class, 9th grade, 22 students. Students learned about various environmental disasters to determine the reasons for the creation of the EPA and Earth Day. The images show the assessment where students did a sketch and tell of the environmental conditions before and after the creation of the EPA.
Teacher slide show presenting the lesson
Students completing sketch and tell before and after the establishment of the EPA
Students completing sketch and tell before and after the establishment of the EPA
Students created a model using paper clips of bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
Teacher lesson and directions for lesson
Student example of bioaccumulation and biomagnification model using paperclips.
Students canoed on Big Pool and tested water samples to determine water quality. Students compared results to Potomac River water quality tests. Students also collected macro-invertebrates to determine water quality.
Students canoeing on Big Pool.
Students collecting macro-invertebrates.
Students in the Potomac River collecting macro-invertebrates.
Students using nets to collect macro-invertebrates.
Students determining the carrying capacity of the trees on campus.
Students measuring trees.
Students measuring trees.
Students in Honors Chemistry read an article on Rachel Carson and her book Silent Spring. Students answered questions and completed a timeline of the events. Students learned about the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of DDT. The Lesson was completely digital and paperless for Earth Day.
Screenshot of article
Screen shot of google classroom assignment
Screenshot of google classroom assignment
screenshot of student work
screenshot of student work
1.2 Green School Awareness
1.2.1 Schoolwide Awareness - Staff
Demonstrate that all school personnel are aware of your school's Green School status and application process.
Acceptable Documentation: Staff meeting agenda or staff sign-in sheet with date and clear description of an all-staff presentation about your Green School efforts; this can be a showing of the MAEOE presentation video on "What it Means to be a Maryland Green School" found on the portal.
Staff were presented Green school application process each year 2019, 2021, 2022. It was not presented in 2020 due to COVID.
Staff were made aware that our Green School application is due to be resubmitted this school year. We brain stormed ideas as a committee of new things to do and expectations.
PD agenda for Green School Meeting
Staff signatures attending faculty meeting in which we discussed submission of the Green School application this school year.
Staff were told of the intent to recertify our Green School status.
Signatures of staff in attendance of the faculty meeting making staff aware that we are submitting a Green School Application.
1.2.2 Schoolwide Celebration
Demonstrate how your school celebrates being a Green School by hosting a schoolwide environmentally-focused event open to all students.
Acceptable Documentation: Photos of students in all grades participating in activities celebrating Earth Day or other environment-themed holidays such as Earth Hour, America Recycles Day, World Water Day, Arbor Day, etc. and/or detailed event agendas or newsletters describing these celebrations.
We held a school wide Pep Rally in 2019 in which students collected recycled material to make a designer dress. Each class had 5 minutes to assemble a dress.
In 2022 the CSHS participated in Earth Hour. Announcements were made and during 6th period lights were out across the school. Students were encouraged to also participate at home.
Students competed by class to make a dress out of recycled material they collected.
Student recycled dress
student recycled dress
student recycled dress
Staff and students school participated in Earth Hour during the last period of the day. Hallways, classrooms, the cafeteria, lights went out in order to conserve electricity and bring attention an education about Earth Hour to our staff and students.
Classrooms lights out
Classroom lights out
Classroom lights out
Classroom lights out
Hallway lights out
1.3 Environmental Professional Development for Teachers
1.3 Environmental Professional Development for Teachers
Demonstrate that 10% of instructional staff have completed an environmental PD. Instructional staff is defined as any staff that manages a gradebook.
- New Schools must have all PD completed within the past 2 years.
- Renewing schools must have all PD completed within the past 4 years.
A teacher who has participated in multiple workshops may only be counted once.
Acceptable Documentation: A certificate of completion from any MAEOE training or recommended PD listed on www.MAEOE.org under Professional Learning or any environmental training provided by your school district.
The Green leader Ed Waldron from the Claude Kitchen Outdoor school presented the school yard report card to staff.
Agriculture teachers Ms. Farmer and Ms. Michol participated in
The Green leader Ed Waldron from the Claude Kitchen Outdoor school presented the school yard report card to staff. Staff participated by completing the report card in teams.
List signatures of teachers attending PD
Staff being presented the school yard report card
Ed Waldron, our Green Leader in Washington County
2022 Maryland Ag Educators Conference. Teachers learned about shoreline restoration. The purpose of the tour was to show how important it is to maintain healthy streams by hardscaping and landscaping with the right materials. Attendees took seining nets into the stream to conduct analysis on water quality and identifying plant and animals. The group measured the effects of erosion by the natural tides and human factors. This tour greatly enhanced teacher knowledge on water quality, erosion control practices, habitat monitoring and establishing proper landscape to ensure healthy streams entering into a watershed.
Ms. Farmer and Ms. Michol learning about water quality in the bay and shoreline restoration.
Ms. Farmer and Ms. Michol suited up for their adventure.
1.4 Sustainable School Practices
1.4.1 Schoolwide Staff Sustainability
Demonstrate the sustainability practices your teachers, staff, and other personnel have implemented school-wide to make your school green. Any actions involving students belong under Objective 2.
Acceptable Documentation: Photos of practices being implemented by staff and/or policy documents that describe sustainable behaviors such as reducing paper use via double-sided copying or electronic communications, de-lamping or using natural light or task lamps to conserve energy; incentivizing carpooling or public transportation; reducing waste in the staff lounge; etc. You may also include the installation of sustainability features at your school such as solar panels, geothermal heating, water bottle refilling stations, etc.
Outdoor planning Ms. Melott has no windows in her classroom and chooses to complete her planning outside at a picnic table.
Ms. Kelly laminates her grade cam sheets to save paper and copies.
Our school system went to 1:1 Google Chromebooks during COVID. Teachers are using less paper and making less copies.
4 Water bottle filling stations were added to our school. Every fountain has a bottle filling station.
We have a Green Club that is student driven. These are the students that have completed many of the aspects of the Green School application. Green Club students have also started an Instagram for our Green club to highlight the many activities we are completing. We have a Green Club member that is our social media manager.
Ms. Melott utilizing her planning period outside
Laminated Grade Cam sheets
Laminated Grade Cam Sheets
Students using Google Chromebooks in the classroom
Mrs. Wadel was instrumental in getting the water bottle filling stations at our school.
The 2022-23 Green Club
Students using chromebooks in the classroom saves paper and copies.
The Green Club has an Instagram to highlight all the many activities we are are doing to keep our Green School status. The instagram is managed by a member of our Green Club.
1.4.2 Systemic Partnership
Demonstrate at least one partnership with a central office or board within the school system that supports part of the Maryland Green Schools Program. Any partnerships outside of your school system belong under Objective 3. Independent schools may partner with their board of trustees, parish office/archdiocese, or funders.
Acceptable Documentation: Sustainability plans, letters from district partners, or completed program applications as well as photos of practices being implemented in partnership with your systemic partner.
Ed Waldron is our Green Leader in Washington County, from the Claude Kitchens Outdoor School. He assists in answering questions about the Green School application. I called upon him to present a PD to my staff. He is someone I can always count on in this process.
Ed Waldron our Green Leader in Washington County.
No records were added by the school.
Student Action
Schools must document eight total actions that address at least three of the listed sustainability practices.
These are student actions, not adult actions. Adult sustainable actions can be documented in Objective 1.4.
2.1 Water Conservation/Pollution Prevention
2.1 Water Conservation/Pollution Prevention
Students picked up trash around the CSHS campus to prevent it from going into streams and rivers. We had 5 students participate and we picked up 20 lbs of trash.
20 lbs of trash picked up
Students happily posing and having fun cleaning up the school yard.
We found a water bottle.
Students using grabbers to pick up trash.
10 students cleaned up 35 lbs of trash around the Clear Spring High School campus. These students are members of the Green Club.
Students showing off there collections of trash
Students working in partners collecting trash
Students working partners collecting trash
Approximately 10 students from the Green Club gathered to pickup trash and located storm drains to stencil.
Excited about the amount of trash they found.
Students showing off the trash collected
Students clean up trash stuck in the shrubs.
Students prepared to collect trash.
Green club students prepared storm drains for stenciling by painting the white background. We have 8 storm drains to prep and stencil. All students were invited to attend to help paint. We had about 15 students that participated. We had 3 teams of students painting storm drains.
Students painting the white background on the storm drain.
Students painting the white background on the storm drain.
Students painting the white background on the storm drain.
Students painting the white background on the storm drain.
Green club members stenciled storm drains with "Don't Dump Chesapeake Bay Drainage" stencils. Stencils were from the DNR storm drain stenciling program. Students worked in teams to stencil 8 storm drains on our campus.
Students applying the stencil.
Students holding the stenciling in place.
Finished storm drain.
Student spray painting the stencil.
Finished stenciled storm drain.
2.2 Energy Conservation
2.2 Energy Conservation
Green Club students created signs, laminated them, and then taped them above every light switch in the school.
Students labeled 85 light switches throughout the school building.
Labeled light switches
Labeled light switches
Labeled light switches
Labeled light switches
Photo copier energy sign
The entire school particapted in Earth Hour. Announcements were made to explain the purpose and describe the event. Then students and teachers participated in lights off for 1 hour at the end of the school day.
Lights out in the classroom
Lights out in the hallways
Lights out in the classroom
Lights out in the classroom
2.3 Solid Waste Reduction
2.3 Solid Waste Reduction
Students in Forestry and Soils class made recycled paper.
students making recycled paper
Student writing on finished recycled paper.
Recycled cardboard sculpture project based upon Keith Haring.
Student art example made from recycled cardboard.
Student art example made from recycled cardboard.
Students in AP Psychology used recycled materials to build a neuron. Then students used stop motion animation to explain action potential.
2.4 Habitat Restoration
2.4 Habitat Restoration
Green club students picked up trash from the school yard. Students collected 28 lbs of trash.
Students sharing their excitement for all of the trash they were able to collect.
Students collecting trash in the shrubs near the senior parking lot.
Green club students prepared to collect trash around campus.
Students in Horticulture Science collect soil samples from the campus farm after the soybean were harvested.
Students in the soybean field
Students collecting soil samples.
Horticulture students will practice food preservation of these herbs and vegetables.
Students planting and maintaining a garden.
Students preparing raised bed gardens.
The Clear Spring High School Forestry students completed a service project for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Students collected black walnuts that will be used by DNR to plant along creeks, rivers, and streams, as part of the state's tree planting program. The program is aimed at enhancing habitat and water quality throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Students collecting black walnuts.
Students collecting black walnuts.
Students collecting black walnuts.
Students collecting black walnuts.
2.5 Outdoor Learning Structures
2.5 Outdoor Learning Structures
Chemistry students working outside in the outdoor classroom.
Chemistry students working in the outdoor classroom.
2.6 Responsible Transportation
2.6 Responsible Transportation
No records were added by the school.
2.7 Healthy Indoor Environments
2.7 Healthy Indoor Environments
No records were added by the school.
2.8 Participatory/Community Science
2.8 Participatory/Community Science
No records were added by the school.
Community Partnerships
Demonstrate that your school is forming long-term partnerships to foster environmental stewardship and cultivate community wellness through real-world connections.
3.1 Community Partnerships
3.1.1 School Active in the Community
Describe at least one environmentally-focused partnership in which your school is working to benefit your community.
Acceptable Documentation: Photos, newsletters, or social media highlighting students participating in an environmental service project such as a local park conservation project, harvesting produce from a farm or school garden to be donated to a food bank, holding a recurring used clothing drive or book swap for the community, or visiting another school to teach other students about the environment.
Agriculture students made 6 wheelchair accessible gardens to be used by the residents of the Western Maryland Hospital Center in Hagerstown. 30 students were involved
Students building wheelchair accessible gardens.
Students building wheelchair accessible gardens.
Horticulture students green plants and donated them to the patients at Western Maryland Hospital.
Benches made for the outdoor school. Students assisted in adding additional seating for students who attend the outdoor school. 4 sections of bench in the one pavilion, about 50 students helped with it.
completed benches at Claude Kitchens Outdoor school.
Students assembling the benches at the pavillion.
Students who helped work on the installation of the benches.
3.1.2 Community Active in the School
Describe at least one partnership in which a community partner (different from the systemic partner listed in 1.4.2) is providing any type of Green School services to the school that occur within the classroom, school building, or on school grounds.
Acceptable Documentation: Photos, newsletters, or social media highlighting a local business providing funding or in-kind donations for environmental activities, organizations delivering classroom presentations or assemblies on environmental topics, or organizations assisting with school campus projects such as tree plantings and bird box installations.
Christy Hixon giving Floral Design students a tour of the historical Plumb Grove Mansion located near our campus and in our community.
Students made and decorated with Williamsburg style Christmas decor. Students used pine branches and dried fruit to make the decorations for Plumb Grove.
Students working at Plumb Grove.
Christy Hixon giving a tour of Plumb Grove
Students making decorations from locally sourced materials.
Students decorating Plum Grove.
Students making decorations for Plum Grove
Ed Waldron is a Green Leader at Claude Kitchens outdoor school. Ed is my go to for everything Green School related. He helps with PD and checks my application. He is there when I have question.
Ed Waldron, Green Leader, Claude Kitchens outdoor school
3.2 Additional Achievements
3.2 Additional Achievements optional
Share any environmentally-related awards, special recognition, certifications, or other achievements that your school, staff or students have accomplished.
No records were added by the school.