SLIMY

Updated January 2006

South Burlington School District Mission Statement

The mission of the South Burlington School District, a community committed to excellence in education, is to ensure that each student possesses the knowledge, skills, and character to create a successful and responsible life.  We will do this by building safe, caring, and challenging learning environments, fostering family and community partnerships, utilizing global resources, and inspiring life-long learning.  

SLIMY Mission Statement

(Adopted Fall 2003)

The mission of SLIMY is to promote and support lifelong learning that will develop understanding, skills, values and behaviors consistent with sustainable living practices (Vermont Standard 3.9).  Through an interdisciplinary approach, meaningful connections will be made to the environment, which foster appreciation for the critical relationship between natural, social and economic systems.  Children will celebrate the joy in discovering the world around them, while developing a sense of responsibility for the future shared with a broader community.

We believe that:

            1.   Children are precious gifts to be cherished and nurtured.

2.      Nurturing a sense of wonder is valuable.

3.      Understanding where food comes from and its nutritional value is important for a healthy life style.

4.      Healthy communities need to model stewardship of our planet in order to    preserve resources for future generations (recycling, composting, energy conservation).

5.      Sustainable practices are critical for achieving ethical awareness, values, and                        behaviors in healthy communities (consumer habits, media literacy).

6.      Communication with our community of learners will be essential to promote sustainable practices.

I.  History

The discussion that brought forth the SLIMY PTO Committee began in December 2002.  The PTO approved that the work of Green’s Beans, which began the work of connecting gardens into curriculum (1993), would be broadened to promote a wider plan for teaching sustainable practices.  The further development reflected in this plan and our results to date were inspired by THE LAST LINK Film Project, The Earth Charter and the ELF (Environmental Learning for the Future) Program, Vermont Institute for Natural Sciences.

II.  Membership

Co-chairs of the PTO SLIMY Committee for 2005-06:

Connie Keetle and Carol McQuillen.

SLIMY Core Committee Members as of September 2005 are:

Terri Donovan, Frank Geier, Nancy Hellen, Peter Jones, Connie Keetle, Carol McQuillen, MaryJo Reale, and Kimiko Yumoto. 

***Our committee welcomes new members.

***We meet each Monday that PTO meets.  SLIMY meets at 7pm.

III.  Ongoing Projects

SLIMY provides this work for our community, reflected throughout this plan:

·        Engage in ongoing communication with our PTO in order to have positive collaboration with administration, officers, community, faculty, parents and students.

·        Maintain the shed where tools and supplies are organized and inventoried.

·        Maintain the existing trails and natural landscapes, and forts built to include safety, removal of poison ivy etc.

·        Support the conception, instruction and implementation of the composting and recycling program of our district.  Ongoing support is available to teachers each year. 

·        Support the maintenance of the existing gardens (7) and landscapes (3) with teachers, students, and families.  This includes the support of a spring/summer position, which includes classroom support and instruction during summer programs.

·        Facilitate the SBHS Freshman Service-Learning Day in May.

·        Communicate the key results of SLIMY in order to further the education of sustainable practices in our community (Communication Easel, Special Events –such as science fair, harvest festival, Newsletters, Web site, The Other Paper).

·        Educate the community regarding the work of our school community to promote sustainable living practices (e.g., presenting SLIMY at a session of the high school course).

·        Promote healthy food awareness.

·        Supervise 16 interns in concert with classroom teachers who made specific requests.

IV.  Results

School Year 2002-2003

·        Built a plan to incorporate the work that had begun with Bean’s Greens in 1993 into the working plan of SLIMY.

·        Cared for the front of the school, including seasonal displays.

·        Designed a triangular garden that repeats the shape of the stone in the sitting area in the front of our school.  This space is cared for Mo Genzlinger and Tracy Pornelos with their families.

·        Provided year round care to the magical woods, checking safety, maintaining gardens, and keeping fresh natural things available for play.

·        Designed the musical woods to provide another modality of play to meet the needs of a wider range of children.

·        Maintained the rock circle: weeding, trimming trees and bushes and cleaning up litter.

·        Facilitated the Coins for Trees, which involved the K/1, 2/3 and 4/5 houses to each plant a maple tree in the playground area.  Students in the K/1 house made willow crowns. They wore them to the planting of the tree and an artistic insect dance was performed (choreographed by Gaby Gurt).

·        Defined the wetlands and extended them.  Willows were planted.

·        Maintained the existing trails.

·        Supervised a UVM intern to paint and seal the cement planter in the courtyard with students .

·        Honored the request of 1^st grade student Melissa Arioli to have her birthday party in the Magical Woods.

·        Facilitated the Freshman Service Learning Day in May.

·        Supervised Sylvia McLean’s work.  She worked 60 hours to teach from our landscapes with students in the School’s Out Program.  This included: watering, harvesting, eating, weeding and other hands-on science lessons with small groups of students.

·        Assisted two students Jordan Turner and Sam Belevance to plot the quadrant vegetable garden, test the soil, enhance the soil with compost, and plant with School’s Out Program.

·        Provided support (tools, soil, mulch, funds for seeds and plants, and labor) for Pam Vandegraaf’s Three Sister Garden, and Deb Gurwicz’s Colonial Garden.

·        Learned about the Legacy Project in Burlington Schools, and the initiatives for improving quality of food in other schools in Chittenden County.

·        Communicated with Food Service Coordinator and school nurses about our interest in enhancing the quality of food our district serves.

School Year 2003-2004

·        Planned seasonal displays with the Toulis family, who adopted the flagpole area.

·        Connie Keetle and her daughter Tieta painted two versions of American Gothic.  This is an interactive, playful art exhibit.

·        Two families adopted tree spaces in the front of our school.

·        Added a hand-made cedar trellis of hyacinth beans to soften the front landscape and to conceal the fuel access.

·        Worked with community artist, Jerry Geier to install two of his hand carved (soft-toned) drums.  Students worked with Andy Echo to paint one of them.

·        Installed the wooden bridge donated by Gardener’s Supply to an entrance of the magical woods.

·        Maintained the woodlands, which included the removal of poison ivy.

·        Communicated with key people that there were 10-12 dead, unsafe trees in the woodlands.  These trees were cut down and the wood utilized.

·        Discerned huge nests near the gymnasium and in the courtyard that were removed.  What was this nest?

·        Received 60-80 plants from the Garden Show, which were cared for in grow labs and utilized by K/1 teachers for life science.

·        Purchased the metal cattail sculpture for the lobby.

·        Facilitated the Freshman Service Learning Day in May.

·        Planned and facilitated seasonal family workdays.

·        Hired, supervised, and provided funds for Sylvia McLean. She worked approximately 20 hours each week from early June through late August..  In June, she supported work with classrooms to establish gardens.  In the summer, Sylvia taught from landscapes with students in the School’s Out Program, SB Orchard Recreation Program and Middle School.  This included: trail maintenance, watering, harvesting and preparing food, planting and weeding.  The skull of an animal was discovered.  Students continued to investigate the area where they found a nearly complete skeleton.  With Sylvia’s guidance they researched and assembled the skeleton.  They concluded that it was likely a raccoon.

·        Supported the Professional Development Goal of our six 2/3 teachers to initiate a plan to investigate composting: What is it?  How much do we current waste by sending it to landfills?  How can we develop and maintain a composting program for our school community at lunchtime?

·        Mentored UVM intern Sylvia McLean, with Lynda Waltien as key supervisor to collaborate with 2/3 teachers and support the composting program.  Teachers also utilized other community resources (i.e., Recycle Michael) to provide composting instruction.

·        Don Kanaac provided a free school-wide assembly making music from recycled materials.  The show was sponsored by the Chittenden Solid Waste District. The value of this presentation was ($895.00). 

·        Maintained the quadrant food gardens with School’s Out and Sylvia McLean.

·        Piloted the daily salad option for our students and staff.

·        Presented The Last Link Film Project at NOFA.  Attended the evening with Alice Waters at Shelburne Farms. Students performed the butterfly dance at Shelburne Farms.

·        Kimberly Killian assisted Sarah Vachereau and her students with the muffin investigation/research project.

·        Provided feedback to Hunter Pawlaczyk and Jordan Turner with their Salad Bar Power Point Presentation.

·        Established the SLIMY logo, “SLIMY” the intelligent worm.

·        Produced posters for communications.

·        Designed the worm costume to introduce and reinforce the goals of SLIMY.

·        Continued dialogue with our PTO as we built each annual plan, budgeted and accomplished goals.

·        Wrote two articles for The Other Paper. 

·        Produced a 10 minute video in collaboration with a local high school student.

·        Raised $1,500 at the November ’03 Tag Sale.

·        Received 200 bulbs from National Gardening.

·        Raised $538.05 from Just Dancin’ Spring Plant Sale and 4 hours consultation

·        Received wooden bridge for magical woods from Gardener’s Supply and replaced some tired tools.

·        Raised $2,000 at the June ’04 Tag Sale

School Year 2004-2005

·        Two teachers, Jo and Jason Pecor, offered an opportunity for students to prepare a compost display for the March Science Fair.  This work was supported by Kristen Griger and Nancy Hellen from SLIMY.  A display board was painted that reflects the compost cycle and is permanently in our cafeteria.  Students produced composting brochures and created posters.

·        A Composting Manual was compiled from our collective work at Orchard School and has been distributed at the other schools in our district for their consideration.  A manual was compiled by Nancy Hellen and Frank Geier.

·        Grow Labs (6) were updated with new bulbs, grounded outlets, and reinforced shelving.

·        An educational composting bin was developed for classroom presentations to promote classroom and school wide composting.                                                                                                                                                 Collaborated with the Northwest Earth Institute and Shelburne Farms to offer an 8-week course (which parents selected from a choice of 3).  Voluntary Simplicity met Monday mornings from 8:30-9:30 at Orchard.

·        Attended the Vermont Community and School Garden Expo at Gardeners Supply. (Presenters from National Gardening, Gardener’s Supply, Northeast Organic Farmers Association, and Shelburne Farms).

·        Obtained a scholarship from Shelburne Farms for a parent/educator to attend the Summer 2005 Project Seasons Course.

·        SLIMY note cards were developed and printed by Steve Keetle.

·        Two articles were written and published for The Other Paper with the voice of children.

·        Raised $2,127 at the November ’04 Tag Sale.

·        Received $300.00 from Wal-Mart grant.

·        Received $54.10 from Freeman French Freeman from their Green School Project (recycling ink cartridges).

·        Received $500.00 from National Gardening through Home Depot grant.

·        Received $793.54 from Sabrina Joy (Just Dancing).

·        Raised $2,900.66 at the June ’05 Tag Sale.

·        Salad bars were available at each elementary school daily.

·        Two fifth grade boys (Hunter and Jordan) partnered with our school nurse, Kara Cassani, to present their salad bar power point presentation to all students K/5 during their lunch period.  Two classes of 5^th graders (Sarah Vachereau and Deb Gurwicz) brainstormed opportunities to educate about food as they study the human body.  Students and adults met with our director of foods to discuss healthy food options.

·        The dialogue continued regarding access to drinking water in our cafeteria.  We looked into a 5 gallon water cooler.  We felt it was more economical to tap into the current water system.

·        The healthy muffins that the 4^th graders (class 2012) developed appeared on our school lunch menu in April.

·        The salad bar presentation was exhibited at the Science Fair.

·        Four classes received funds (up to $30) to enhance food education in their classroom.

·        Coordinated the replanting of the 4/5 house tree that died. The arborist from Four Season’s could not discern the specific reason the tree died. Worked with Mrs. Lawrence and Mrs. Waltien’s students to plant trees that were approved for future shade near the playground. 

·        Coordinated 8 outdoor activities with the PTO for ’04 Harvest Festival: Taiko drums station, making scarecrows, planting bulbs, making bird feeders, making fairy and corn husk dolls, weaving, and eating samples of organic food.  SLIMY also had 4 opportunities for the parents to learn more about this initiative: SLIMY video, salad bar presentation, muffin project and displays.

·        Each outdoor display and garden was “put to bed” with students.  We supported moving the colonial gardens that needed to be uprooted to repair damaged drains.  We had the support of farmer Brian Kellerman.

·        32 parents, and children came to freshen our landscapes on April 16^th!

·        The spring/summer ‘05 work with Angela McGregor reflected a wide variety of learning opportunities with students in classrooms, School’s Out and Rec. Dept.  She did a fabulous variety of activities from puppet shows in the woods to salad preparations, making herb butters, setting up a plant hospital when teacher’s neglected plants were detected.  Grow labs were maintained and the tool shed was re-inventoried.

·        Gerry Geier came and drummed with our students during recess.

·        UVM student Karen Persons worked with Deb Gurwicz, Barbara Lawrence, Carol McQuillen and Lynda Waltien to present lessons and activities that taught media literacy awareness skills.  This was part of her thesis.  Each class composed a video presentation.  Parent and videographer James Valastro mentored her work as well.

School Year 2005-2006

·        More than 15 teachers and families provided SMART SNACKS for OPEN HOUSE on August 30^th.  Melissa Pasanen prepared a visual display and parent information for students to begin the year with the healthiest foods. A written one-page of the same was available to parents.

·        Served fresh melon from our school gardens in our cafeteria.

·        Two work dates in late August prepared our school gardens for opening.  Five families contributed by adopting a space they cared for on their own schedules.

·        September work party secured poplar saplings and stumps.

·        16 of 18 teachers responded to a SLIMY Teacher Survey regarding nutrition and other SLIMY programs.

·        A group worked on the fort structure and magical woods

·        Bird feeders were placed in the woods near the 2/3 wing.

·        SLIMY sponsored an Assembly with Sue Morse on animal tracking.

·        Nancy Hellen presented the cycle of composting to five classrooms - as an education element to our composting program.

·        SLIMY met with Joe O’Brien, Principal of the Middle School about composting.  He plans to launch a composting program in Spring 06.

·        November Tag Sale netted $2262.

V.  Moving ahead – School Year 2005-2006 Goals

Belief 1.  Children are precious gifts to be cherished and nurtured.

Belief 2.  Nurturing a sense of wonder is valuable.

1.      Continue to maintain natural spaces in order to create a sense of place.  They include: front of school, rock circle, magical and musical woods, trails and wetlands.

2.      Plant and care for trees with students to enhance the beauty of our school landscapes as well as provide shade for the playground.

3.      Integrate the care of existing fruit trees with existing curriculum.

4.      Continue to develop our Adopt-A-Space plan with custodial staff and families to have service-learning opportunities that will be flexible, according to their time.

5.      Plan for the new Adopt-a Space on Baldwin Ave. with parent Diane Provost, who would like to maintain the landscape as our new Orchard sign is installed.

6.      Plan seasonal workdays with families to maintain and enjoy the beauty of our natural spaces.  Rick and our custodial staff will help in the planning.

7.      Plan and facilitate a Spring Event 2006.

8.      Prepare and post signs for the woodlands with direction from Mr.Wilhite, who utilizes the woodlands as part of his physical education program.

9.      Facilitate the Earth Institute discussion group entitled: HEALTHY CHILDREN/HEALTHY PLANET.  This will be offered in fall ’05.  This 9 week course will be available both Tuesday mornings and Tuesday evenings.

10.  Gerry will reinstall the hand carved drums.

Belief 3. Understanding where food comes from and its nutritional value is important for a healthy lifestyle

1.      Continue the partnership with School’s Out to plant, maintain, harvest and serve a variety of fresh foods from the gardens.  A new vegetable garden site is to be determined. 

2.      Utilize the Salad Bar Power Point Presentation designed by two students, Jordan Turner and Hunter Pawlaczyk, to educate K/5 students.  This presentation will highlight the key nutritional values of each food on our salad bar.  We will discern if it needs to be redrafted.

3.      Provide opportunities for students to prepare nutritional foods.

4.      Explore the possibility of creating art for our cafeteria, which enhances the importance of good nutrition.

5.      Engage in ongoing dialogue with head of Food Services.  We would like to communicate a follow-up plan for the muffin project and brainstorm the other ways students, and adults can have a voice in our Lunch Program. 

6.      Promote the establishment of a core nutrition committee for our district.

7.      Begin investigation of other schools (local and national) that have successful greenhouses. Learn how they gather community support, plan, budget and maintain their greenhouses.

8.      Further explore the question of water access in the lunchroom (for students, the School’s Out Program, etc.). 

9.      Continue to care for the fruit trees on our site.  Check in with Mr. Pecor courtyard trees).  Mr. Schmidt is willing to continue the care of apple trees into his existing curriculum, which Mr. Pecor began.  According to an organic farmer from UVM, these trees have potential to bear usable fruit.

10.  Inquire with the City regarding a community farm which provides food to our schools.

11.  Present the green house plan to district administrators for consideration, feedback and then approval to raise funds.  Plan and get approval for UVM plant/soil partnership. 

12.  Continue compost project and other year 1-4 initiatives that bear results and are assessed to have positive impact in creating a healthy community.

Belief  4.  Healthy communities need to model stewardship of our planet in order to    preserve resources for future generations (recycling, composting, energy conservation).

1.      Explore the extension of our existing compost plan to include paper towels and                              classroom composting of foods.

2.      Further the education of composting with K/5 students with an assembly update.  The new kindergarten students will have access to classroom demonstrations.

3.      Further the education of what happens to the items we recycle in our bins within each house.

4.      Investigate if there is interest and talent to facilitate a KID’S CLUB.

5.      Offer support to any other school in South Burlington, and beyond, who would like to incorporate composting into their sustainable teaching practices.

6.      Explore the useful composting educational materials already available to discern if it would be helpful to develop any materials for school and/or home.

7.      Develop a living machine display for the library, with educational signage, to demonstrate concepts of ecological systems.

8.      Introduce students to concepts of wildlife bio-diversity and threats to bio-diversity in South Burlington and Vermont (assembly with Sue Morse).

9.      Investigate the potential of utilizing UVM interns to assess the ecological footprint of Orchard School.  Results can be used to investigate energy alternatives and pursue monetary incentives.

10.  Investigate the potential of developing “Orchard Water” – water purified by living machines and available in the cafeteria.

Belief  5.  Sustainable practices are critical for achieving ethical awareness, values, and behaviors in healthy communities (consumer habits, media literacy). (standards)

1.      Inform teachers about the work of Karen Persons 2004-2005.  Make her thesis and CD featuring our students available for teachers.

2.      Engage in a school wide dialogue regarding media literacy to learn how others are addressing the media literacy standards.

Belief  6. Communication with our community of learners will be essential to promote sustainable practices.

1.      Continue to build capacity for ongoing dialogue with administration, principals, PTO officers, faculty and families.

2.      Communicate the results of teachers, parents and students working together to make a positive difference (school written communications, developing a SLIMY link on the Orchard School PTO web site, and writing for other media).

3.      Explore ways for children, classes and families to be acknowledged for efforts that model sustainable living (award presentations at assemblies, etc).

4.      Create discussion groups with parents, teachers and other community members as          desired (Healthy Children/Healthy Planet).

5.      Continue to write articles for THE OTHER PAPER.  These articles should be written with teacher and student voice.

6.      Communicate our current plan with other PTO’s, and organizations within our community.

7.      Raise awareness in the wider community (impact of toxins and pesticides on the watershed, and reduction of energy).          

Goals (2005-2006): Resources and Evaluation

1.      Fundraise and solicit community gifts.

2.      Gather teacher/community resources in library for anyone to use, including field trip information, compost manual etc.

3.      Establish ways to measure and assess our work.

VI. VISION 2010: TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL

The five-year vision of the SLIMY Organization is to work towards a sustainable school, with a focus on resource management and outreach.  The three main initiatives of resource management include:

1.      Food (growing in greenhouses and at locally supported farms, and distributed to schools).

2.      Energy consumption (striving for self-sufficiency in terms of energy use).

3.      Waste reduction and recycling (including composting, liquid and solid waste reduction, and transportation alternatives).

These resource management initiatives will be conducted through school-based educational programs and outreach to the community.

Specific goals include:

1.      Complete an ecological footprint for Orchard School.

2.      Investigate the problem of classrooms becoming too hot for children and teachers, creating real life solutions.

3.      Achieve a twenty-five percent reduction in waste generation and energy consumption (e.g. one hundred percent of compostable materials will be composted and wastes will be reduced through informed purchasing).

4.      Install pilot wind and solar systems for energy production and education.

5.      Perform a chemical and pesticide audit of Orchard School, with the goal of eliminating all uses of these compounds. Communicate district policy regarding toxins and pesticides

6.      Grow food for school consumption in a greenhouse and/or from a local farm partner to improve the quality of food available to Orchard School and promote healthy food awareness.

7.      Identify nutritional awareness goals that are measurable.

8.      Sustain the compost project.

9.      Continue to promote student, parent, community and business outreach and involvement at all levels (involvement in work, newsletters, business networking, grant writing, etc…).

10.  Produce a newsletter written and published by children.

11.  Ongoing networking with businesses, grant writing etc. to fund SLIMY.

12.  Involve children in the work of SLIMY as much as possible, offering opportunities to groups such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

 PLEASE JOIN US!

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Page created by SLIMY member M.J. Reale and Orchard Library/Media Specialist Donna Macdonald.

  This page last updated: 02/01/06.