Schools

George School: Setting a Sustainable Example

From a LEED gold certified library to local food in the cafeteria, the Quaker private school is a model for sustainability

We’ve all got green on the brain.

Recycle this. Reuse that. Turn the lights off. And the water, too.

But George School is taking sustainability to a whole new level. From a LEED gold-certified library to composting, recycling, and student “energy agents” who educate their peers on sustainability issues, the Quaker private high school has set a high bar for environmental stewardship in schools.

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There is an old adage: “think globally, act locally.” At Newtown Patch, we believe that rings true. Every action counts. These local efforts will not only make our community a better place, but the environment as a whole.

We’ve selected George School as the first subject for Sustainable Newtown, a new feature that will highlight and explore how your neighbors, schools, and local businesses are doing their part to preserve resources and protect our environment.

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Close your eyes.

Try for a minute to recall what was on the lunch menu at your high school cafeteria.

Images of soggy tater tots, rubbery chicken nuggets, and pizza more characteristic of cardboard than lunch, all piled atop a Styrofoam tray, probably come to mind.

Now transport yourself to George School, where the on-campus cafeteria is reinventing school lunch as you know it. It not only tastes better, but it’s eco-conscious.

The menu features locally-grown produce and (weather permitting) the harvest from the school’s on-site organic vegetable garden. Hormone-free milk is served, along with cage-free eggs (local, of course).  The Earth-friendly menu is served with Earth-friendly recycled paper napkins.

When students have their fill, they dispose of the outstanding scraps in the compost bins, located inside the cafeteria. Their plates are washed with a new energy-efficient dishwasher.

On a cold February afternoon, Food Service Director Joe Ducati and his staff still managed to feed nearly 750 students and faculty with local products. The menu featured potato salad, made from locally-grown potatoes and cage-free eggs, as well as Asian slaw with locally-grown cabbage.

“To support the food system in your local area is like voting with your food dollars,” Ducati said.

Plus, as part of the effort to be environmental stewards, the school observes “meatless Thursdays” every week, replacing their chicken or beef with tofu or a soy protein.

“I’m trying to transcend the whole theme of sustainability,” Ducati explained.

But what goes on in the cafeteria is just one element of George School’s commitment to sustainability.

The school’s 26,400-square-foot library, which opened its doors last school year, earned a gold-level LEED certification – the national standard for green building.

The Mollie Dodd Anderson Library is an excellent example of beautiful architecture that has a very minimal impact on the environment in more ways than one.

For starters, floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the library not only reduce the amount of electricity needed to light the building, but make for a positive learning environment.

The building has a vegetative sedum roof, which is a moss-like substance that absorbs rainwater.

“Seventy-five percent of rain goes into the roof. What overflows goes into rain gardens,” said Marlin Stroh, the school’s project manager.  He added there are about 10 rain gardens throughout campus.

The materials used to construct the building are either recycled products or wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. “Everything you look at is recycled,” Stroh said as he strolled throughout the facility.

From the carpet right down to the concrete foundation, 95 percent of the materials in the library have been given another life, Stroh said.

Not only is the material recycled, it’s local. “The material that came from the farthest away is the Vermont stone for the steps,” Stroh said, adding that 88 percent of the waste from construction was recycled.

The heating and cooling in the building is handled by an environmentally-friendly geothermal system. The system uses water from 40 underground wells that are 400-feet deep to establish an appropriate temperature.

Renovations recently made to the campus’ history building were also done with Mother Nature in mind, including energy-efficient lighting, dual-flush toilets, floor tile made from renewable resources, reclaimed wood, and low-emitting paints and glues, among other features.

Being mindful of the Earth fits into the school’s Quaker value system, said religion teacher Stephen Moyer, a member of the school’s Environmental Stewardship Steering Committee.

“Ultimately, it comes back to the SPICES,” Moyer said. "SPICES" is an acronym for six key Quaker values: simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship.

“Environmental stewardship has always been a piece of the Quaker values,” Moyer said.  “As Quakers, it’s our duty to take a leadership position in these efforts.”

Students have taken an active role in the school’s mission to be eco-conscious.

TERRA, a student-run group that focuses on education and action related to environmental issues, has recently established an “energy agent” program. Student “energy agents” are billed with the task of enlightening their peers about simple ways to save energy, including unplugging appliances, turning lights off, etc.

TERRA member Justin Becker, a sophomore, said he leads by example with the hopes that his mindfulness of the environment will snowball. “I try to set an example for other people and hopefully other people will follow the example,” he said.

“I’m from L.A. My entire life, I’ve grown up breathing really smoggy air,” said Becker, who is from California. “I really like nature and don’t want to see it die.”

Andrea Lindsay, a senior, said educating others about issues related to sustainability is key. “I think the goal is awareness,” she said.

If you or someone you know is doing something Earth-friendly, let us know and it could be featured on an upcoming installment of Sustainable Newtown.


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