GREEN at South

South School was awarded the California Green Ribbon Award at the Silver Level in 2021!  We are consistently focused on improving our Green initiatives here at South and are committed to creating a greener & more sustainable environment for our community. In a continued effort to make sure our students and planet stay healthy, we are excited to highlight several of our programs focused on being GREEN at South!   

Walk/Bike to School Days 

There are several days throughout the school year that are designated Walk/Bike to school day!  All students will receive a beaded necklace in their classroom in the beginning of the year, and every time they walk or bike to school, they will receive a colorful paw charm to add. Collect paws throughout the year! 

We encourage friends and neighbors to meet and walk to school together.  For children who do not normally walk to school independently, an adult must accompany them. If you live further from school, you can park at least 3-5 blocks from school and walk over. You will be doing your part to reduce congestion and carbon emissions in the parking lot which goes a long way! 

 Anyone biking must wear a helmet and parents should not follow behind their biker in their car. Typically, only 4th and 5th graders ride bikes to school, however, since this is a school-wide event, it will be open to younger experienced bikers who are accompanied by an adult.

Green Ambassadors Program

The Green Ambassadors program is made up of 2 students per class from 3rd to 5th grade, and there are new Ambassadors each year.  Led by Sally James, our librarian, and Erin Bautista, our iLab instructor, this program focuses on creating activities for the student body that promotes environmental education, efficient use of sustainable resources and creating a healthy and green community.  Similar to last year, the Green Ambassadors are planning two big awareness events for the 2023-24 school year.  

Fall Event: This event will benefit an endangered animal which will be voted on by the students.  Last year, the fundraising efforts benefited the Monterey Bay Aquarium's sea otter program.

Spring Event: Similar to the 2023-24 school year, there will be a Tomato Plant Sale to benefit Let There Be Light International.  This organization brings solar lights to families in impoverished areas which prevents them from breathing the noxious fumes of kerosene and allows children to do their schoolwork in low light conditions.  This year South School hopes to correspond with some of the children that were supported by the fundraising efforts last year.

In collaboration with these two events, Ms. James and Ms. Bautista often coordinate supplemental activities in their classrooms as well as with the grade level teachers.  Last year, the teachers read Odder by Katherine Applegate which was about a fictional sea otter rescued by an aquarium.  In addition, the 4th grade students conducted research on otters and the California coast, and Ms. Bautista created robotic kelp forest organisms in iLab with her students.

There are always ongoing activities led by the Green Ambassadors at South School.  Examples include efforts to keep the creek clean,  providing nesting boxes and food for our birds, and planting various items such as wildflower seeds, daffodil bulbs, seeds for the tomato plant sale and the indoor hydroponic garden.  

Lunch Crew

Lunch Crew is a wonderful opportunity for some of our older students to help clean up every day after lunch.  They sort the trash carefully using the compost, recycle and garbage bins, and help reduce unnecessary waste.