HEALTHY GREEN SCHOOLS

18 Ways to Green Your School


Our kids spend a least 6 hours a day, 180 days a year, at school. Sending them off to a safe, chemical free school is as important as establishing  a clean, toxin free home. Helping your local school with their efforts to go green is worth your time and energy and will set a wonderful example for your children.
What can concerned parents do to ensure that their children are not being exposed to dangerous chemicals when trying to learn? Can parents make a difference in the curriculum to be sure that their children are prepared for a green future when they graduate?
Parents can make a difference. Getting involved in your child's education doesn't stop with homework help and helping out with fundraisers. Parental involvement in greening up our schools can go a long way in improving the learning environment for our children while protecting Earth's precious natural habitats.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.   — Dr. Seuss, from The Lorax

18 Ways To Green Your School

The following suggestions include ways to get involved in helping your local school go green as well as tips for your children to become green students.

1. Start an eco-committee of parents and interested teachers to organize and direct green activities and efforts at your school. In middle schools and high schools, students should be represented on the committee as well.
2. Find out if your school has an environmental mission statement or "planet pledge" - if they don't, help establish one.
3. Conduct an environmental survey or energy audit of the building and grounds and create a plan of action based on the results. Get students involved in the plan of action and have teachers discuss the issues with their students.
4. Encourage teachers to include green topics in their curriculum. Offer to present a project or topic for discussion to your child's class.
5. Buy your child vinyl and lead free lunch boxes.
6. Send your child to school with a healthy lunch in a reusable container. Attempt to create a "trash free" lunch. 
7. Buy your child a large, chemical free water bottle for them to use throughout the school day.
8. Buy unbleached recycled-paper notebooks.
9. If your older student carries a cell phone, ipod or laptop to school, consider a solar powered backpack to power her gadgets.
10. Buy backpacks made from recycled materials.
11. Buy non-toxic school supplies including glue, crayons and markers.
12.  Ask the teacher to use low-odor dry erase markers and dust free chalk. Offer to purchase them for the teacher if cost is an issue.
13.  Request that the school provides a clean, safe indoor environment and clean air by using non-toxic cleaners in the classrooms and throughout the building.
14.  Are toxic pesticides sprayed on the playground? Find out and petition for change. Present viable options.
15.  How is pest control handled inside the school? Help to make necessary changes by researching and presenting a better, chemical free solution.
16.  Request that school forms and notices be distributed through email whenever possible to cut back on paper use.
17. Find coloring pages online. It is easy to find exactly what your child would like to color without having to buy – or waste – an entire coloring book that contains pages they are not interested in coloring.
18. Encourage you child to get involved in the recycling effort within the school and to participate in any other going green programs.

A First Step for Greener Schools

These tips are simply the first steps in creating green schools. Some schools have already taken going green much farther by installing solar panels on their rooftops or creating "green roofs", by establishing organic gardens for students to work with and teaching renewable energy principles in the classroom.
Establishing a clean non-toxic environment in our schools will absolutely benefit the health of teachers and students. Exploring going green and renewable energy in the classroom will spark the imaginations of the great thinkers of tomorrow! It is their future we are preserving, after all.
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ~Native American Proverb


Your children's schools should be the safest, healthiest, cleanliness  place in the whole world. Shaklee's Get Clean philosophy is they don't believe cleaning shouldn't involve dirtying the earth. Get Clean products are safe for you and your families, especially your children at home, work and school. There are ZERO chemicals like phosphates, chlorine, and nitrates that are harmful to our planet and especially our children are in Get Clean products.


For over 50 years, generations of families have counted on Shaklee to do what no other company can do quite like Shaklee....make products that are naturally safe and proven effective. Click on the LQ_WELLNESS link on the right for more information on Get Clean products.

WEDNESDAY WELLNESS

Noteworthy Nuggets:   Some children have health concerns that may require special modifications to the school environment in order to keep them safe and comfortable. It is very important that the school nurse and/or your child’s teacher are made aware of any health condition along with instructions on how to manage the condition on a daily basis and in an emergency situation.   A medication authorization form is generally required if children take medications during school hours.  This authorization applies regardless of whether the medication is a prescribed or an over-the-counter drug.  Details about the medication—including its purpose, side effects, dispensing instructions, and persons who are allowed to administer it—are included on the form.   Most schools require their students to have up-to-date immunizations and corresponding records on file.  This is especially important if your child is going to school for the first time.  An immunization record is generally due at the time of registration.  In addition, a current physical (in the last 12 months) is required, along with a form filled out by your healthcare provider. Kick off the new school year right by getting your child’s health information in order.  There are several items to think about when making back-to-school preparations, including your child’s individual health needs, medications, and immunizations.  Here are some general guidelines to help you prepare for an easy start to the school year. Individual health needs: Some children have health concerns that may require special modifications to the school environment in order to keep them safe and comfortable.  Common problems include asthma, allergies, attention deficit disorder, headaches, diabetes, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, seizures, and mental health issues.  It is very important that the school nurse and/or your child’s teacher are made aware of any health condition along with instructions on how to manage the condition on a daily basis and in an emergency situation.  Most schools provide detailed instruction forms that can be filled out and returned at the beginning of the school year.  Keep in mind that many forms require a physician's signature to authorize an order, so arrange to have these forms signed ahead of time to ensure that the information is received and carried out in a timely manner. Medications: A medication authorization form is generally required if children take medications during school hours.  This authorization applies regardless of whether the medication is a prescribed or an over-the-counter drug.  Details about the medication—including its purpose, side effects, dispensing instructions, and persons who are allowed to administer it—are included on the form.  Again, your healthcare provider may need to sign the form, so plan for this prior to the start of the school year.  Medications should be kept in a bottle with the correct label and should correspond with the medication names listed on the medical authorization form.  This is especially important for those students who self-administer their medications. Immunizations: Most schools require their students to have up-to-date immunizations and corresponding records on file.  This is especially important if your child is going to school for the first time.  An immunization record is generally due at the time of registration.  In addition, a current physical (in the last 12 months) is required, along with a form filled out by your healthcare provider.  Also, if your child received a booster or tetanus shot during the summer, provide a copy of the record to your child’s school for his file. If you haven’t glanced at an immunization schedule* in a while, you may not be aware of recommendations for three new vaccines for the pre-teen and adolescent age groups: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine:  Helps to protect girls from ovarian cancer caused by HPV; given to girls 11-12 years of age. DTaP ( diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis):  Helps to prevent the spread of whooping cough (in addition to tetanus and diphtheria); given to pre-teens and teens. Meningococcal vaccine:  Helps to prevent bacterial meningitis; given to college students living in dorms or similar living environments. Ensuring success: Your child has the best opportunity to succeed when a healthy school environment is in place.  One way to ensure this happens is to provide the necessary health information to nurses and teachers so that they can care for your child’s health needs.  Even if your child does not currently have any health problems, it is equally important to be aware of any changes in their health status.  This may include changes in vision, hearing, behavior, development, or ability to learn.  If you do notice a change, discuss it with your healthcare provider immediately to begin early intervention and treatment. Written by:Ann Henderson, RD, LDNRegistered Dietitian

LQ-WELLNESS Introduction

My passion and specialty as a Health/Wellness Coach is to inspire families to live a life of health in mind, body, and soul. I work with clients who are seeking to improve their level of physical and/or emotional wellness. As a professional Health Coach, I know the importance of healthy wellness. In a perfect world, we wouldn't need health coaches to be healthy. However, with today's processed foods and chemical exposure health coaching is absolutely necessary to help maintain and achieve optimum health. Through my health coaching services greater health and wellness can be a reality for you and your family. Athletes have coaches to succeed and improve their skills, as your Health Coach I will be your confidential partner who will provide the tools and guidance to help you design and create the healthy lifestyle you really want to live happier, healthier, longer, and greener for a healthier environment. Let LQ-WELLNESS be your GPS for optimum health and wellness. In my future blog writings I hope to bring you health articles which will show you how to live your best life by enjoying optimal wellness.