During July, GUOS staff think of only one thing: August.
August brings one of our favorite times of year, back to school! Each of our schools are unique. From waste to enrollment, we love empowering students to think outside of the box to envision and build a sustainable community, together.
We miss our schools during the summer!
Let me take you back to a moment in time that encompasses why...
It's a sunny morning at the Stone Mountain middle school graduation ceremony (Colorado), the air was full of joy as students filed in for the ceremony, singing songs while waiting patiently for the whole school to fill the field. Today is the 8th grade graduation, and everyone is there to support and cheer them on. All of the students (K-8) are here to watch the procession. Bubbles are being blown, the sky is blue, and tiny voices fill the air.
This one was my favorite :]
Green Up Our Schools was invited to participate in this awesome event! Jess and I brought a giant check for the Green Team, and had a chance to tell the whole school and all the parents about the hard work they have been doing. We felt so honored to be included and to have the Green Team's achievements recognized!
The younger students learned a special send off dance for the 8th graders...
...and in return the 8th graders did a dance as well.
The 8th grade class presented Principle Franci with a touching gift, and a staff band arranged and performed a special song just for the occasion.
Moments like these show how connected the student body is. Being a student here is something special. Graduating high school seniors who were previous Stone Mountain students attended the ceremony, and they offered stories of their favorite experiences from the school; things like pajama day, dunk tanks, and of course, principle Franci. Stone Mountain has a slogan, Be Kind. Launched by Ms.Franci, Be Kind captures the heart of Stone Mountain.
Before we said goodbye, we stopped by the lunch room to see the school's data, proudly displayed as a reminder for the students. Stone Mountain focused on lunchroom trash this year, and we can't wait to work with the students to determine their focus for the coming year's projects.
As we pass the front door, we see paper cranes, many of which are created from reused paper. Green practices are being incorporated all throughout the school, and we are so honored to help Stone Mountain on their journey. So many of our schools have an amazing and inclusive culture, and we are honored they have invited Green Up Our Schools to be a part of it. As we go through the application process over the coming weeks, we can hardly wait to see our family grow!