Everything we use on a daily basis has some kind of environmental footprint. As a school district, we track usage in the area of garbage, recycling, and paper.

From November 1-30,

in just that month alone

we printed or copied 1,178,642 sheets of paper!

What is the environmental impact of all that paper from November? This has so do with the consumption, production, and manufacturing that goes into paper.

• 14.68 trees consumed in the making of that amount of paper
• 5,303.9 kg of CO2 produced in the production of the paper used
• 333,948.6 hours of energy used in the manufacturing to produce the paper

Let's be mindful of how much we are printing.

Ask yourself, "Is it really necessary to have a paper copy?" Or is a digital copy OK?

If you have to print, are you printing two sides to save paper?

Let's work together and see if we can significantly reduce our January paper numbers!

CRCSD students and staff play an important role in reducing our energy and water usage, waste consumption, and carbon footprint.

Energy Star Scores compare buildings similar to ours with others nationwide. So what can your school and staff do to increase your Energy Star Score? There is a list of simple ways to decrease energy usage at your school on our website; click on the Report Card button below. 

Contact our Energy Project Supervisor, Tammy Carter, for additional information or questions.

Posters have been shared with all custodial staff on best practices for being as green as we can in our buildings. All of these practices align with current board policy.

The best thing we can do is help our building engineers and custodians by following the same practices in our own work spaces as well.

Remember if you have a repair that is in need, please inform your building engineer and they will put in a work order. If the temperature of your space is uncomfortable, email hvac@crschools.us

The Johnson Green Team sent home a wonderful newsletter to parents. They shared projects they have been working on this year and holiday sustainability tips for decorating and gift giving. What a great way to share with families about your work. Keep up the fabulous work Johnson Green Team!

Five Green Teams participated in the November Challenge focused on carbon footprints; Johnson, Cedar River Academy, Washington, Van Buren, and Viola Gibson. Students shared their research and knowledge with each of their schools. Thank you for being leaders and educating your peers!

Green teams participate in unique challenges each month and allow for the opportunity to teach students about environmental best practices. In addition, teams that participate earn funding for projects and activities thanks to our generous local business sponsors.

The January Challenge involves a new year, a new goal. Similar to a New Years resolution, teams should come up with a goal for the month on what they can do to better the environment and then take action! This can be tricky in the middle of winter, so be creative! Ask yourselves, what is happening in nature this time of year and how can we help? Or, what can you do to counteract climate change that you see happening this time year? It may be a small task, but still impactful.

Please notify Green Team Coordinator, Kristine Sorensen if you are participating in this challenge and what your goal for January is that you are working towards completing. Teams will recieve $100 for completing this challenge by the end of the month.

Events happening near you

Click on the links below to find out how you can get in touch with nature or learn something new about sustainability and the environment.

Indian Creek Nature Center

Jan 27 & 28 - Backcountry Film Festival

Linn County Conservation

Jan 7 - Turtle Meet and Greet

Jan 14 - Kids Ice Fishing Clinic

Trees Forever

Jan 18 - Amphibians and Reptiles of the Midwest-Webinar