Green School Quest

Continued from page 8 making sure the plants are in the ideal location to thrive in each classroom environment. The students will routinely measure Co2 levels within each classroom and track the data to see their progress towards their goal of healthier Co2 levels. August H., who has been at The College School for nine years and is a member of the classroom greening and Co2 monitoring initiative, says that “it will help us be healthier by reducing the levels of Co2 in our classroom, and I think that it will just make the classrooms look better and [create] a better learning environment for students to be in.”

Overall, the Green Schools Quest is taking place in over 50 schools according to the U.S. Green Building Council website, each with its own environmental initiative. TCS alum Meghan J. is a senior who is part of the Green School Quest at St. Joseph’s Academy. One of their ideas for their initiative is to create an outdoor classroom where they place hammocks next to their school garden that can be used by students during their free time or during class. “The Green Schools Quest brings students together in unified action towards helping the environment and making environmentally conscious decisions on a day-to-day basis,” Meghan says. “The importance is to make people aware of the ever-increasing need to take action to decrease climate change [and] decrease pollution.” As the Quest continues at TCS, students are looking to take the first steps toward fulfilling their initiative goals and tracking the impact they’re having on their school community.

John McElwain noted, “the Green School’s Quest aligns with the values of The College School in terms of taking care of the environment, taking care of each other, and taking care of our community as a whole.” wing of the museum, created specifically for three-dimensional artwork. Loose parts and recycled materials became the basis for many miniature compositions in three dimensions. This new gallery was housed on the adjoining shelf where paint supplies were held.

The neighboring shelf, once cleared of materials, became the museum’s cafe, another request the children made. They constructed small tables and chairs, also from loose parts, for visitors to sit and dine. Menus of available drinks and snacks were written so that customers could see what was available for purchase. Lastly, a ticket booth was created where patrons could purchase tickets and discover information about the museum and its works of art.

Once these final components of the museum were in place, the children returned to creating a variety of artworks for the original galleries and filling up the walls. As the year went on, tiny pieces continued to be produced for the space, and the children would frequently visit the museum to view the new works. Towards spring, the children connected the museum to their classroom research around a beautiful tree in Lockwood Park. The kindergarteners created detailed compositions of the tree to be viewed as a special, end-of-year, exhibit, one where family and friends were invited to view their works and