Rainbow Schools celebrate Earth Day

Rainbow Schools will celebrate Earth Day with a number of activities, including participating in the Earth Day Festival at Market Square.

"In Rainbow Schools, we are teaching our students sound sustainability practices so they become more aware of the impact that their actions have on our community and our environment," says Jean Hanson, Director of Education for Rainbow District School Board. 

She adds: "Our schools are leading by example. We welcome the opportunity to celebrate the environment along with our community partners at the Sudbury Earth Day Festival and we encourage everyone to visit our displays. Our elementary and secondary schools will also host a number of Earth Day activities."

Earth Day at Market Square – Saturday, April 19, 2008

Rainbow Schools will showcase environmental initiatives at the Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at Market Square in Sudbury. As part of the exhibit, visitors will learn more about environmental projects being undertaken by Rainbow students, both locally and globally.

Sudbury Secondary School will showcase the efforts of its Environmental Club and the school’s participation in the annual Roots and Shoots conference and Envirothon competition. Students will sell stainless steel water bottles at the Earth Day Festival. Money raised through the sale of Klean Kanteens will go towards the school’s Environmental Club activities and events for local charities.

Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School will feature a number of initiatives at the Earth Day Festival, including its tree-planting project. In May, Lo-Ellen Park will plant more than 500 trees around the school and along the access road near the Laurentian University Beach area. The trees are being provided by Collège Boréal. Other activities being featured include the spring and fall leaf drive and the school’s involvement in the "Save the Laurentian Trails" Campaign, Children’s Water Festival, Dearness Conservation and Junction Creek Stewardship Committee.

Students from Lively District Secondary School, Lasalle Secondary School and Manitoulin Secondary School will showcase their work in Costa Rica setting up solar LED lighting systems. Through generous donations, staff and students in Rainbow Schools have brought the gift of light to some 500 Costa Ricans over the past five years. The public will be able to view a slide show of this year’s excursion at the Earth Day Festival.

Earth Day in Rainbow Schools – Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Lockerby Composite School


1391 Ramsey View, Sudbury


522-1750


Bruce Bourget, Principal

Dr. David Peason will speak to Grade 11 and 12 students at Lockerby Composite School at 10:30 am. His presentation will focus on Climate Change and Energy Issues. Dr. Pearson will focus on how these issues impact us and what actions we can take.

Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School


275 Loach’s Road, Sudbury


522-2320


Jeff McKibbon, Principal

Grade 9 students at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School will clean up the area around the school on Earth Day. The Environmental Club will make presentations about its various activities. The Club will also promote recycling and compost programs at the school. Also on Earth Day, there will be a fundraising barbecue during the lunch period, where hybrid vehicles will be showcased (a Toyota Prius compliments of Laking Toyota and a Smart Car compliments of Sudbury Fine Cars). Teachers and students will learn all about the latest technology in transportation. The Environmental Club is also collecting used batteries. There will be announcements all week to highlight Earth Day and foster greater awareness about environmental issues.

A.B. Ellis Public School


128 Park Street, Espanola


869-1651


Terry Moss, Principal

A.B. Ellis Public School will host an Earth Day assembly at 1:45 pm. Students will participate in a litterless lunch and a yard clean up. The school’s Light Brigade! will encourage everyone to turn off classroom lights and computers when not in use. A.B. Ellis is also producing an Earth Day newsletter.

Central Manitoulin Public School


56 Yonge Street, Mindemoya


705-377-5325


Tracey Chapman, Principal

In the morning, students at Central Manitoulin Public School will head outdoors to participate in educational, cooperative games that focus on the environment. In the afternoon, classes will do their part to keep the community clean by picking up garbage in Mindemoya. Students are also being encouraged to bring a litterless lunch to school on Earth Day.

C.R. Judd Public School


8 Lincoln Street, Chelmsford


705-858-3861


Michael Bellrose, Principal

Students at C.R. Judd Public School will complete a 5 km walk along the forested perimeter of the school, celebrating nature’s gifts in their own backyard. Students and staff at the school care about the environment and are continuously looking for ways to reduce their environmental footprint.

On Friday, May 9th, students in Grade 5 will work with local seniors to clean up the grounds at the Capreol cemetery. Students have been doing this for the past six years. On Friday, May 23rd, Grade 7 and 8 students will join the Capreol Lions Club and local volunteers to help clean up the main thoroughfares of Capreol and the portion of Regional Road 84 between the new Capreol pump house and Linden Drive.

During May, several students in Grade 5 and 6 will paint small, yellow fish at the entrance of storm sewers throughout the community. This will serve to remind residents that debris and toxins dumped into these storm sewers flow directly into the Vermillion River, a natural waterway that not only supplies fresh water to community residents, but also recreational opportunities year round.

Gatchell School


31 Tuddenham Avenue, Sudbury


674-1221


Iva McNair, Principal

In recognition of Earth Day, Gatchell students will plant flower seeds.  The school hopes to transplant the flowers outdoors in order to create a greener and brighter playground. Activities will be ongoing throughout the day.



Lansdowne Public School


185 Lansdowne Street, Sudbury


675-6451


Chantal Lacroix, Principal

To mark Earth Day, students will attend a half-hour presentation about recycling in the gym at 9 am. All non-essential lights and equipment will be turned off for an hour at 2 pm to save energy.  Students are also being encouraged to bring a garbage free lunch to school.

Levack Public School


100 High Street, Levack


966-3476


Gisèle LaLonde, Principal

Levack Public School will host a Spirit Day on April 22nd. Students will show their true colors by sporting green and blue. At noon, they will participate in an assembly focused on truth, one of the Seven Grandfather Teachings.

Little Current Public School


18 Draper Street, Little Current


705-368-2932


Margaret Stringer, Principal

In the morning, from 8:40 am to11:50 am, Little Current Public School will participate in an Earth Day Play Day featuring a number of activity stations, including Reduce/Reuse Yard, Stories with Earth Day topics, Recycle Relay, Water Demonstrations and Adaptation Artistry. Students will also be challenged to identify micro and macro habitats, will talk about environmentally friendly cleaning products, and will grade their home for greenness. There will be a Community Yard Sale from 10 am to 1:20 pm to raise funds in support of the school’s Free the Children campaign. Students will take part in a community clean up from 1:20 pm to 2:40 pm.

Northeastern Elementary School


45 Spruce Street, Garson


693-2110


Dave Farrow, Principal

The Earth Day Celebration at Northeastern Elementary School will include litterless lunches and a community clean up. Students will contribute to an Earth Day Book, promoting environmental stewardship and literacy learning.  The school will also host an Earth Day assembly. Students will share what they are doing and can do to make a difference, both locally and globally.

R.H. Murray Public School


3 Henry Street, Whitefish


866-2651


Jack Mallette, Principal

Students at R.H. Murray Public School, an "EcoActive School" will participate in Operation Clean Sweep through Pitch In Canada.

R.L. Beattie Public School


102 Loach’s Road, Sudbury


522-7178


Kim Kalviainen, Principal

R.L. Beattie Public School incorporated Earth Day celebrations into its Grade 4 to 8 spring concert "Painting the World in One Hour" held on April 17th.  The concert featured a slide show of R.L. Beattie’s environmental champions – students using the recycle and organic waste bins, planting seeds in the classroom to later plant outdoors, cleaning the school yard and turning off lights.  Grade 4 to 8 classes also made posters on the environment, Earth Day, and recycling.

Valley View Public School


1840 Valley view Road, Val Caron


897-4906


Paul Dupont, Principal

Students at Valley View Public School, the first Green School in Northern Ontario, are participating in a number of Go Green activities. Some students will make games of chance for math class based on an environmental theme. These games will be shared with other students. Grade 6 students will promote litterless lunches at the school.