Hilton Head Middle School

Two years ago, Hilton Head Island Middle School was the recipient of a solar panel as part of a joint effort pilot program by Santee Cooper and Palmetto Electric Cooperative.

As part of the program six-grade science teachers and their students incorporate the solar panels as part of their curriculum as they study energy conservation, the earth's atmosphere and weather.

The school was provided a computer and necessary materials to track how much solar energy is being gathered and used, and to come up with fun projects to test their results. For instance, students use K'NEX toys (similar to Tinker Toys or an Erector set) to make simple machines that run on solar power. They also have a solar powered car race.

"Hopefully we are getting them to think green," said science teacher Dianne Exley. "This generation is where the ideas for the future will come from."

Hilton Head Elementary

Hilton Head Elementary was the recipient of the '07 Lowe's Grant and has created another 'Go Green' area called the 'Not So Secret Butterfly garden.'

"We have enjoyed the funds provided by the 2007 Palmetto Pride Grant -- and have created a lovely environmental garden with flora and fauna from our region," said Amy Tressler, science coach, who is heading up this project.

The students use this area as an outdoor learning area – weather permitting.

Okatie Elementary

Students plant a garden in the fall and in the spring at Okatie. Recently students from all grade levels helped plant week broccoli, cabbage, turnips, mustard, and onions. The students will plant, weed,Mircale-gro, pick, and eat when ready.

In the spring students plant potatoes, corn, green beans, squash, cucumbers, and zucchini. We have a "Taste of the Garden" the last week of school.

In June students picked produce and sold it at the Bluffton Farmers Market to make money for seeds for this year, said Helen Goodman, science lab teacher.

We are definitely a "GREEN School," said Tracey Cannon, fifth grade teacher Okatie Elementary.

"We have paper recycling bins in all the classrooms. Our fifth graders are chosen to be recycling monitors and they collect paper and cardboard each Friday. We have collection bins for plastic and aluminum cans. Mrs. Aaron's second grade all-boy class is collecting the plastic and cans on Thursdays.

Bluffton Elementary

Green is all around us and Bluffton Elementary has been going Green for a couple years. We always encourage our students, teachers, families, and community to take part in our many 'Go Green' efforts; it is a win win for all parties!!

* Our first efforts started small with 'Box Tops,' Project A+, and Labels for Education. These programs encourage parents to save labels of every day products; bring them to the school; then school sends them to the companies in return for money and/or school supplies.

* Let's Save Trees Together program is our newspaper and white paper recycling program. Our recycle bin is located in our bus loop parking lot. Community participation is strongly encouraged. The hours for the bus loop drop-off are weekdays after 4:30 and all weekend.

* Pop Tab Collection: we collect aluminum pop tabs from soda and food cans for the Ronald McDonald House. The revenue generated from the Pop Tabs goes directly to help families of seriously ill children who are guests at Ronald McDonald House. Ronald McDonald House provides a "home away from home" for families from all across the Southeast and beyond with seriously ill or injured children. In 1999, the Savannah Ronald McDonald House initiated a Pop Tab Recycling Program, which not only raises awareness and additional revenue for our organization, but also has a positive impact on our environment through recycling. Bluffton Elementary hosts a Pop Tab competition in the fall; the winning class receives a popcorn party!

* We continue to collect inkjet cartridges, cell phones and laser cartridges that qualify through the Funding Factory.

* Recently our Student Council took on the huge task of Recycling: 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle'. They made recycling bins out of boxes for plastic bottles and plastic containers.

* The Student Council also teamed up with Green Tree Apparel to promote the preservation and protection of earth's fragile eco-systems through Green Tree Apparel's Earth Conscious line of t-shirts. The students will be able to wear their 'Green' shirts on Spirit Days. The money that is raised from the t-shirts sales will be used to buy recycle bins throughout the school.

* Last year Hargray sponsored an aluminum can competition; and Bluffton Elementary came in 3rd between all of the elementary schools south of the Broad River. Hargray donated 3 aluminum can containers which we fill on a regular basis, and take to the recycle center.

Our motto is Reduce, Reuse Recycling and we try to encourage and promote all of recycling efforts every day in everything we do and use!