Schools
Hingham Schools Honored By State Officials For Green Efforts
Hingham High School and Foster Elementary were honored for going green.
Two Hingham schools were among 84 across the state to received special recognition for their outstanding environmental actions as members of the “Green Team.”
Hingham High School and Foster Elementary were part of a statewide environmental education program promoted by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
With the efforts of HHS assistant principal Rick Swanson, the high school has participated in many environmental programs including holding a America Recycles Day, a Green Week, harvesting garlic with collected gardening compost and opening two hydration stations to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles.The high school’s most successful program was its “Slash the Trash” competition. Hingham High School sports teams and clubs took turns supervising the compost and recycling station in a “Slash the Trash” competition. Each season, the winning team wins a prize from a local sponsor.
“The Hingham High School Green Committee has greatly decreased waste by developing a comprehensive recycling and composting program in the school cafeteria,” Swanson said.
Students, teachers and parents at Foster Elementary School also recycled and collected compost.
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“All the children at the school are involved with our efforts and are part of our Green Team,” said Foster teacher Charlotte Allan.
As a prize, HHS was given garden supplies while Foster was given an Earthtunes concert.
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Gov. Deval Patrick was very proud of all the schools that participated.
“Students who participate in the Green Team program learn some of the basic environmental building blocks, like recycling and sustainability,” Patrick said in a press statement. “Developing this kind of awareness benefits each individual student, while it also helps to further the conservation and energy-efficiency efforts undertaken by the Commonwealth.”
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