Going green

A portrait of Maria Montessori is propped on top of a bookshelf in the main hallway of Austin Montessori. Beneath the softly beaming picture, Montessori is quoted as saying, "With the child lies the fate of the future."

The students of Austin have taken those words literally this week as they embraced the green movement and started learning about ways they can help save the planet.

This week, Austin students have been participating in Austin Green Week, a week of activities and events designed to make the students aware and informed about the importance of helping the environment.

"I think that green week is important because we need to help protect the planet earth. It’s the only earth we have, and we need to help it be perfect and make it look like somebody cares," 11-year-old Brayden Grant said.

Austin’s Science Club students were learning about recycling when they approached club leader and science teacher Shannon Davidson about taking it to the next level. That’s how Green Week happened, Davidson said.

"This is something we hear about on TV and in the media — going green — but it’s important for us at Austin Montessori because we teach respect for the environment," Davidson said.

Davidson worked with the students to come up with different ways for the school to conserve and recycle. Students were reminded of the program every day, but the science club only put up a few fliers on construction paper to promote the event.

Davidson said that, originally, she was telling the students to make posters and fliers, when a student reminded her that making posters would be using the same materials they were trying to conserve. All of her students have been good about reminding her not to waste paper and to put reusable materials into the right bins, she said.

"They’re teaching me, too," she said.

During this week, students started each morning with a PowerPoint presentation that taught different aspects of being environmentally friendly.

A different lesson in going green was emphasized every day. Throughout the week whether they were turning off the lights for an hour, washing their own reusable trays or learning about the school’s new recycling bins, the students were learning different ways to be friendly to the planet.

On Thursday, the cafeteria was lined with "Trash Art," a contest where the students took materials destined for the garbage dump and transformed them into works of art. A set of four plastic soda bottles became a penguin family. Old plastic grocery bags — once they were layered and stitched together — became a purse, and boxes and bottles were transformed into a gangly silver robot.

Principal Sylvia Sanchez’s eyes grew wide and her face glowed with pride as she plucked items from the display, showcasing her students’ ingenuity.

Sanchez said that when Davidson approached her with the idea for a weeklong environmental awareness project, she was happy to agree.

"I think it’s a very good project for our students. They’re very excited about the projects and the contests," Sanchez said.

Austin sixth-grader Brianna Tutt said she knew how important green week was.

"It’s important to help our earth be green so that it can be here longer … and we won’t have to live in outer space," Tutt said.

AUSTIN’S GREEN WAYS

>> Turn out the lights if you don’t need them to save energy.

>> Try not to use too much paper.

>> Collect soda cans and recycle them. It’s good for the environment, and you get to stomp on the cans.

>> Reusable plates, silverware and trays are more environmentally friendly than plastic