Dear Staff & Community,  

Hope this e-mail finds you well and enjoying the winter season! Below are several helpful tips, events, updates, news, and resources related to environmental sustainability and our schools/community. As always, let me know if you have any questions or ideas: [email protected] or x6856.

Take care!

Best,

–Kristen Middleton
[email protected], 617.349.6856

Remember to "Get Rid of It Right" at Breakfast and Lunch
Teachers, please remind your students…
–Milk cartons and juice cups MUST BE EMPTY before they can go in the recycle bin. Pour out all liquids before recycling your containers. Food and liquid can ruin other recyclables. Also…
–Straws go in the TRASH.
–Yogurt cups are too dirty to go in the recycling. They have to go in the TRASH. At home, rinse and then recycle them.

Thanks for helping to get rid of it right!

                                      
Check Out the New Cambridge Street Code!
The Street Code is a resource for everyone. Whether you walk, bike, drive, or use public transportation, you play an active role in the transportation system. In order for this system to function well, each person must follow the rules, pay attention, and be patient and courteous. Simple!

The Street Code is made up of five main sections: Rules of the Road, Reduce Risk: Be Alert, Reduce Risk: Be Predictable, Responsibility, Respect Others. Check it out and take a look at the visuals demonstrating how to use the various different kinds of infrastructure on the streets in Cambridge!

For more information on the Cambridge Street Code, please contact Jennifer Lawrence at 617.349.4671 or [email protected].



Sign Up for GREEN TEAM, Teachers!
Have your students been working on environmental projects this school year? Don't forget to register for THE GREEN TEAM so they can be recognized for their efforts! In the spring, teachers who have registered for THE GREEN TEAM send in a Teacher Response Form to report their students’ waste reduction, energy conservation, and pollution prevention activities. Participants can receive prizes – such as a garden center gift certificate or a school-wide performance by an Edutainer – to recognize their work!

The New Year is a great time to encourage your students to take THE GREEN TEAM PLEDGE. This activity encourages students to take action at home or at school help protect the environment. During the 2015-2016 school year, more than 3,000 students took the pledge.

The GREEN TEAM recently posted a new table aligning GREEN TEAM activities with the 2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework. Several Green TEAM lessons and activities align with these standards, including:
Climate Change Activities
Composting Lesson Plan
Light Bulb Lesson
Slash Trash Lesson Plan
Clean Air and Idling Reduction Activities



Recycle those Plastic Bags! 
While it’s environmentally ideal to use cloth or re-usable bags for shopping, sometimes we end up with plastic bags. However, plastic bags can greatly harm wildlife in waterways and oceans, and when they get trashed at a landfill; the dioxins in the plastic are chemically hazardous. But there is a solution – you can recycle those plastic bags!

Recycle clean and empty bags at the Recycling Center during open hours or at local supermarkets. Look for a collection bin near the front of the store or ask customer service: Harvest Coop (580 Mass Ave), Star/Shaw's Market (699 Mt. Auburn St, 20 Sidney St, Porter Sq Shopping Center & Twin City Plaza), Whole Foods (200 Alewife Brook Parkway, 340 River St, & 115 Prospect St). Click here for a list of what is accepted ~ and thank you for recycling!

Cambridge Energy Alliance 
The Cambridge Energy Alliance, a program of the City of Cambridge Community Development Department helps residents, businesses, and organizations to obtain energy efficiency and renewable energy services. You can sign up for energy audits and ask questions through the energy advisor service.