Bridgeway Academy Stellarton Students are Green Warriors!

**Information provided by Janet Johnston and Camilla MacDonald, both with Bridgeway Academy

At the end of May, Engagement Officer Pam got to visit the students at Bridgeway Academy in Stellarton. She had previously visited them in the fall, and twice virtually over the school year. With these previous visits, Pam talked to the students  about energy and energy efficiency, litterless lunches, and habitats. For this visit, she worked with the students to learn about Earth Day, and how we should celebrate, and care for the earth, every day of the year. 

While Pam was in the classroom, one of the students stood up and presented her with a “gratitude banner,” that the students had created for her. The banner included notes and letters from the students, explaining how her visits had helped them be greener at home and school, from using less plastics, to always unplugging their chargers to reduce phantom power. Pam was beyond happy to read their kind, inspiring words. 

After receiving the banner, Ms. Janet Johnston informed Pam how recently, the students were so inspired from the previous visits, that they wanted to do more to teach others in their community to help the environment!

The students completed a goal setting activity in class, determining goals for the month, one year, three years, and their lifetime. When they shared their goals, one of the students shared that one of her lifetime goals, was to teach children about caring for the environment, just like Pam, and the other Green Schools NS Engagement Officers do, 

Ms. Camilla MacDonald runs an after school recreation program at the Dream Candy Organization-a local non profit organization that she co founded a few years ago. They have 15-25 children who attend daily afterschool. Camilla told the students that they didn’t have to wait to share their passion for the environment with children, and suggested that they worked with the class to create a presentation for the Dream Candy kids.

The Bridgeway students loved this idea and they took care of the rest! They called the Go Clean, Get Green office, requested bags and gloves to bring to Dream Candy, researched safety tips to share, developed a pledge for the children to sign, and created a beautiful PowerPoint presentation about the 3Rs and litterless lunches. They presented to the Dream Candy kids and did an amazing job with their lesson! 

After the presentation, they led the children in a community cleanup. The Dream Candy kids were so impressed with the Bridgeway group,and felt very engaged and moved by the group to make more energy efficient choices. 

The Bridgeway students gave away a few Go Clean, Get Green t-shirts as prizes to some of the Dream Candy kids-who pledged to be a friend to the environment. It was an amazing experience for the Bridgeway students, and the Dream Candy kids! Both groups are hoping to work together again soon! 

We at Green Schools Nova Scotia are so proud of Bridgeway Academy Stellarton, for not only caring for the environment themselves, but for working together to teach more students, and to help everyone work together for a greener future for us all!

~Pam Chandler

Engagement Officer