Environmental Stewardship

Where Earth Day is Every Day

At Blue Rock School, we are deeply committed to preserving the health, wellbeing and beauty of our planet and all of its creatures, and feel that this positive connection to nature is not only a gift, but a duty to our children and generations to come.  As a school, we were early adopters of sustainable practices and have always strived to do our part to minimize our carbon footprint. We have made green living a priority by instituting many eco-friendly standards and practices over the years. We have also enlisted the help of parents to join our student Vine Brigade which helps remove invasive species on campus during bi-annual community work days.

As an institution of learning, we are of course equally dedicated to modeling and teaching our students the importance of respecting the earth and all living things. Environmental education happens organically throughout the day, as it is woven into the culture of daily life at the school. Just a few examples are our waste-free lunch program, recycling, composting, use of LED lightbulbs, the conservation of energy and materials, (all paper goods are made from recycled materials) and the use of eco-friendly cleaning products on campus. Large, disposable, plastic water coolers were replaced long ago when water filters were installed campus wide on our drinking fountains and sinks. To avoid using individual, single-use, plastic bottles, utensils and paper cups, students are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles, ceramic mugs for tea, and stainless steel flatware. The school also owns flatware that it uses for all school events. Students are also encouraged to make greener choices in the classrooms. For example, if they use their entire pencil down to the eraser, turn off the light when leaving the room, or use both sides of their paper, their efforts will be acknowledged.  Each and every day we aim to gently create the awareness of our impact on the environment and the need to conserve our finite resources, to instill a genuine sense of caring and positive action that students will hopefully carry with them throughout their lives.

Green initiatives have also been woven more formally into the curriculum and dovetail perfectly into our hands-on approach, a hallmark of our learning style here at Blue Rock. Our gardening program is just one example which has really flourished in recent years, having grown from flowers only to include vegetables, berries and herbs. Specialty tea, dye and jewelry gardens have also recently been added. Gardening truly brings learning to life and has vastly enriched our science curriculum. The growing cycle and opportunities to learn continue all year and into the next with composting, the study of soil composition, beneficial insects, pollinators, and biodynamic agriculture. Students make the seed to table experience happen with their own hands.