Virginia Beach City Public Schools earned a platinum certification from the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2011 Green Schools Challenge. The VSBA Green Schools Challenge is a competition designed to encourage implementation of specific environmental policies and practical actions that reduce carbon emissions generated by local divisions and the broader community.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools is one of 11 recipients in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s mid-Atlantic Region -- and the only school division in Virginia -- to be recognized for exemplary achievements in environmental excellence and pollution prevention.
As the largest school division in the region, Virginia Beach City Public Schools understands the importance of conserving resources and protecting our environment. Testimony to our commitment, among the 70,000 students and approximately 15,000 full and part-time employees, are the often unique and innovative conservation efforts that can be found in every office and school in the school district. The school division takes great pride in being recognized for our efforts to minimize the impact on our environment Take a look at the awards the school division has received.
We hope that you will use this site as a resource for promoting environmental sustainability at home and in the classroom. We welcome your suggestions and comments on how this site can help to increase awareness. Please send your comments to j.tim.cole@vbschools.com.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools is Making a Difference!Since September 2008, the school division has diverted 2,748 tons from the waste stream. This is equivalent to saving:
DECEMBER 2010 |
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Read About Our Three Sustainable Goals
- Build sustainable buildings
Any new or renovated building will be designed to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver rating at a minimum. To date, buildings that have earned a LEED rating include: Hermitage Elementary, Windsor Oaks Elementary, the Renaissance Academy. Projects under construction or in under design that will earn an LEED rating upon completion include: Virginia Beach Middle, Great Neck Middle, Pupil Transportation Services Maintenance Facility, College Park Elementary, and Kellam High.The Renaissance Academy, completed in January 2010, is an example of an environmentally sustainable school. Typical sustainable features found in this 289,000 sq. ft. facility include: a rainwater harvesting system that uses stored rainwater to flush the toilets (estimated to save one million gallons of water per year); solar heated hot water used in the cafeteria; lighting sensors to supplement natural lighting; artificial light in all of the classrooms; and an interactive kiosk allows visitors to access data on all of these systems, including the geothermal and photovoltaic panels.
- Integrate environmentally sustainable practices throughout the school division.
In 2006, a Sustainable School Committee (SSC) was formed to meet on a regular basis for the purpose of monitoring and making recommendations regarding sustainability within the school division. Members serving on this committee are from various departments throughout the division. Many of the “green” programs and initiatives can be found on this page. - Educate the public.
With 85 schools, approximately16,000 employees, and nearly 70,000 students, the school division has a great platform for directing change locally and on a larger scale. Each school has a Sustainable School Liaison (SSL)
tasked with increasing sustainability awareness throughout the school division. Through their leadership, many of our elementary, middle, and high schools have developed programs or clubs addressing the issue of sustainability.
A listing of environmental programs taking place at each school is available for review.
On a quarterly basis, the school division publishes a newsletter – Green News
– highlighting initiatives and programs targeted on conserving resources. The most current issue of Green News and archives are available on this site.
Five Things to Do to Save the Planet
If you Google "10 things you can do to save the planet" the results will produce a variety of websites that each yield a different list of "ten". To make it easy, the list below offers five suggestions that even the meekest eco-warriors among us can incorporate into their daily lives:
1) Conserve Water:
- Do not leave the water running while you are brushing your teeth or shaving.
- Don't wash your car at home. Take it to a car wash, they are equipped to handle
the run-off. - Landscape your yard so it doesn't require frequent watering.
2) Recycle:
- Fill up those blue bins.
- Take those plastic grocery bags back to the grocery store for recycling
(Take a cloth bag with you next time). - Make sure batteries are disposed of properly.
3) Conserve Energy:
- Turn off lights and ceiling fans when you leave the room.
- Buy a broom, and a rake, and STOP using a leaf blower to remove the leaves from your driveway or lawn. If you miss the noise, record it on your iPod and play it back while you are sweeping the driveway.
- Buy energy-efficient products. (Look for the Energy Star rating.)
- Replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents.
4) Drive Less:
- Not everyone can go out and buy a new car that gets 40 mpg, but everyone can
drive less. - Consolidate trips. Get out of the habit of jumping into the car every time you get the urge.
- If your destination is within walking distance, then walk as often as you can.
5) Talk to friends and family about 1-4.
There is no need to become the family eco-snob. Just talk to people and ask them if they have changed any of their habits to help protect the environment. Half the battle is simply making people aware that they can make a difference.
What Are We Doing?
School Construction
The Office of Facilities, Planning and Construction earned a 2010 Stewardship Development Award from the City of Virginia Beach for these construction projects currently under construction or recently completed: Great Neck Middle School, Virginia Beach Middle School, Renaissance Academy and the Pupil Transportation and Maintenance Facility. The award program honors development projects in Virginia Beach that demonstrate outstanding environmental stewardship.
Sustainable Schools Committee
In September 2006, a Sustainable Schools Committee was formed to meet on a regular basis with the purpose of monitoring and making recommendations regarding sustainability within the school division. Members serving on this committee are school employees from the offices and departments of: Facilities Planning and Construction, School Plant, Custodial Services, Food Services, Transportation, Technology, Curriculum and Instruction, and Media and Communications Development.
Schools Recycle Cell Phones
Many of our schools serve as recycling collection points in the Virginia Beach community for used cell phones. The used cell phones are refurbished and shipped to countries outside the United States. Collecting and recycling cell phones creates a positive impact on the environment as the phones, constructed of toxic materials, do not end up in landfills. In addition to creating a positive impact on the environment, recycled cell phones serve as a fundraiser for schools.
In the Classroom
Recycling an average of 123 tons of material per month, the school division's expanded recycling program catapulted into full force in September 2006. Each of the school division's 4,500 classrooms is equipped with a recycling bin used for disposal of paper products, aluminum and steel, plastics, and glass. During the 2006-2007 school year, 859 tons of recyclable material was collected in these bins.
In the Cafeteria
Between 700,000 to 800,000 plastic milk containers referred to as "chugs" are recycled each month. With the start of the 2007-2008 school year, biodegradable hot and cold cups are being used in all school cafeterias.
In the Theater
In an effort to conserve resources and reduce energy costs, lighting fixtures for Green Run High’s theater were replaced in December 2008 with Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures. This cost-savings initiative was implemented during a scheduled electrical upgrade, prior to the
start of the current school year. During the upgrade, 50,000 watts of incandescent lighting was replaced with 2,847 watts of LED. The potential energy cost savings, including bulb costs, amounts to $12,732 per year.
In the Office
In addition to recycling products from the classroom, the school division is a champion of recycling office supplies such as paper products and printer cartridges. School division staff are currently researching the effectiveness and cost of carpet tile as opposed to conventional goods. Carpet tiles are less labor intensive, have a longer life expectancy, and allow the replacement of only the area that is damaged or is in need of replacement. Consequently, this reduces the cost to replace carpet throughout the school division. Read more about this initiative in the Winter 2008 issue of Green News 
.
Green News
Since September 2006, the Department of Administrative Support Services has published a quarterly newsletter – Green News – that addresses the topic of sustainability as it relates to Virginia Beach City Public Schools. You can subscribe to an online version of this publication via vbschools x-tra.
Promoting Sustainability in Every School
Besides recycling paper and plastic products, each of the school division's 85 schools has an appointed Sustainable School Liaison, tasked with increasing sustainability awareness throughout the school division. Through their leadership, many of our elementary, middle, and high schools have developed programs or clubs to address the issue of sustainability. The school division has a listing 
of each school's Sustainable School Liaison and the environmental programs that are in place. Highlights from some of these programs follow:
Centerville Elementary
Centerville Elementary has established a Go-To Green Team composed of 5th graders charged with encouraging students and staff to be environmentally responsible. Go-To Green Team members developed a plan that includes the following initiatives:
- Cell Phone Recycling Program: The money generated from recycled cell phones will sponsor a program to purchase animals for families through the Heifer Organization. The mission of the Heifer Organization is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.
- Energy Patrol: The school’s Energy Patrol has developed a checklist of energy efficient practices for every classroom. Student members of the Energy Patrol make random checks around the building to encourage participation in energy conservation.
- Paper Conservation Committee: Students members of this committee track the quantity of paper used in the interest of reducing copy paper usage. The committee has developed tips on how to reduce dependency on copy paper.
- Recycling Committee: Members of this committee remind fellow students and staff members about the types of items that should be recycled in the blue recycle bins found in every classroom.
Christopher Farms Elementary
The school's PTA has addressed a variety of "green" initiatives at Christopher Farms Elementary . These activities have added to the school's emphasis on helping to save and appreciate the environment.
- Sponsored a logo contest for recycling creature. Posters were made of the winning logo and attached to the school's recycling bins.
- Secured additional recycling bins for copy rooms and cafeteria.
- Featured "green" news and tips in the school's PTA newsletter and website.
- Revitalized the school's butterfly garden by clearing overgrowth and adding new plants.
- Added new plants, flowers beds, and shrubs around the school building (donated by CFES families).
- Refurbished the school's Japanese fountain.
- Cleared the school's breast cancer memorial garden and prepared plots for planting.
- Hosted "Water Pirates" presentation on water conservation for K-5 students.
Cooke Elementary
The Ready, Set, Grow garden club at Cooke Elementary kicked off during the 2008-2009 school year with funding from a grant awarded by the Virginia Beach Education Foundation. The boxes, containing the plants, were built by the students attending the Technical Career Education Center under the guidance of their instructor Andre Pease. The club participants, third and fourth grade students, have fun learning SOLs through hands-on garden activities.
Hermitage Elementary
Hermitage Elementary principal Holly Coggin (left) and head custodian Raymond Hawkins with the school's plaque commemorating Hermitage Elementary as the first elementary school in Virginia to receive a LEED certification by the United States Green Building Council.
Holland Elementary
Holland Elementary has created an outdoor nature center called The Secret Garden. This garden provides all Holland Elementary students with opportunities to assume the role of young scientists, researching authentic environmental experiments. The Secret Garden focuses on living systems, life processes, earth patterns, cycles and changes in our natural world. Holland Elementary’s garden provides motivating and exciting curriculum connections through real, respectful, and thoughtful uses of resources. Various sections have been developed within The Secret Garden to provide learning opportunities for students in grade K-5. The various “gardens-within-a-garden” include: a butterfly garden, herb garden, woodland garden, and memory garden. Of great importance for teaching students about sustainability is the garden’s erosion and conservation corner that includes rain barrels and a compost bin. The entire Holland Elementary family and community garden partners share in the responsibility of maintaining and supporting the school’s very special garden.
John B. Dey Elementary
Students at John B. Dey Elementary have the opportunity to learn in three outdoor classrooms. These outdoor classrooms engage students in a variety of learning activities such as: planting, investigating, reading, conducting math lessons, and incorporating materials and plants found in gardens into classroom lessons and activities. According to first-grade teacher Karen Callis, "The children love to go out to the gardens. They remain engaged with the unique learning activities, focusing on the plants and materials."
King's Grant Elementary
During the 2009-2010 school year, King’s Grant Elementary Green Team is busy promoting responsible environmental activities as follows:
- At the end of each school day a group of students are assigned to a hallway, the library, or computer lab in order to help teachers recycle their trash bins and turn off computers.
- During lunch, students observe fellow students in order to recognize those who recycle their milk containers or use a reusable lunchbox, water bottle, or sandwich container. These students receive a Caught Being Green paper ticket. These tickets are then deposited into a box for a prize drawing at the end of each month. Prizes include reusable materials.
- Students are in the process of creating commercials to be aired during the King’s Grant Elementary morning announcements. These commercials are intended to educate and encourage students to respect the 4 R’s of recycling.
- Students will have the opportunity to take a Green Pledge and encourage other students to do the same.
- Students wear a green visor so everyone knows they are a member of the King’s Grant Green Team.
New Castle Elementary
Since 2003, New Castle Elementary's after-school Ecology Club, composed of 5th graders, has focused its attention on Chesapeake Bay, Lynnhaven River, and the local watershed.
During the 2006-2007 school year, members of the Ecology Club participated in a year-long oyster restoration project. Each month, students visited the Virginia Aquarium to gather data on oysters and shared this information with the Oyster Reef Keepers of Virginia. The Ecology Club also maintains an aquarium in the school's main office. This aquarium contains fish and blue crabs that live on an oyster reef.Students have conducted research in the library on the large number of species found in and around the Chesapeake Bay to include: ospreys, herons, oysters and crabs.
The Ecology Club sponsors a yearly Trivia Contest for one week. Fish facts are "schooled" together around the school corridors allowing students to find answers to daily questions.
Plaza Middle School
In the spring of 2007, Plaza Middle School 7th grade students initiated a grass roots effort to raise the awareness level of global warming after viewing the document An Inconvenient Truth. Students have researched relevant issues pertaining to global warming to include: the Kyoto Treaty, the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Act, and specific initiatives being undertaken by cities and schools nationwide.Princess Anne Elementary
With the start of the 2007-2008 school year, the students and staff at Princess Anne Elementary, started a school-wide project to collect and recycle old cell phones. To date, over 100 phones have been collected. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Natural Resources Defense Council.Red Mill Elementary
In November 2008, Red Mill Elementary’s students and staff collected almost 23,000 plastic bags for recycling. This is the second year the Red Mill Elementary student body teamed up with Harris Teeter for this recycling initiative. Jennifer Crow, Red Mill Elementary's SCA sponsor (far left) is pictured with students loading the plastic recycled bags in the back of a SUV for delivery to Harris Teeter.
Woodstock Elementary
To help keep Woodstock Elementary’s planned edible vegetable garden watered, a rain barrel will be installed at the school. In support of this “green” initiative, members of the Woodstock Elementary Green Woodchuck Club assembled their own rain barrel during the Lynnhaven River Now Rain Barrel workshop in March 2009. Vegetables from the school garden will be given to Woodstock families in need.These are examples of how some of the schools in our division are addressing environmental sustainability. To learn more about how other schools are developing their own programs ranging from cell phone recycling to outdoor teaching gardens, subscribe to Green News.
School Construction
Hermitage Elementary
With the completion of Hermitage Elementary in the spring of 2005, this school has the distinction of becoming the first certified *LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) elementary school in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This environmental certification was awarded to Virginia Beach City Public Schools in November 2005 by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Hermitage Elementary School earned its Green Building Certification due to the many environmental amenities incorporated into the building and site design to include: special filters installed in the heating and cooling system; building materials that contain a percentage of recyclable elements; higher insulation values; structural design that promotes an abundant flow of sunlight; sinks and toilets with low-water usage; and the use of low VOC paints and floor adhesives with minimal odor.
*LEED recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in green building through a comprehensive system offering project certification, professional accreditation, training and practical resources.
Renaissance Academy
The Renaissance Academy will be Virginia Beach City Public Schools' new alternative education center serving students in grades 6-12. With a celebrated groundbreaking in October 2007, this project is slated to achieve a U.S. Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver rating. As of October 2006, only 60 schools in the whole country have a LEED building rating.The Renaissance Academy will be the first building in our school division that will use rainwater reclamation for toilet flushing. A rainwater collection system will collect water from the roof and store it in a 50,000 gallon cistern so water can be used for flushing toilets. This will allow the school to save approximately 3.8 million gallons of treated water per year. Read more about the unique features that will be incorporated into the construction of this 285,000 square foot facility.
Conserving Energy in Our Schools and Offices
Conserving energy in our schools and offices not only saves money but is a savings to our environmental resources. With rising energy costs, it is more important than ever to "pitch" in and take an active role to conserve energy. For example, as a cost and energy savings measure, thermostats in all schools are set back to maintain the building at temperatures of no more than 65 degrees during the winter holiday break. Here are a list of suggestions that all staff have been asked to practice:
- Keep exterior doors closed.
- Turn off lights in spaces that are not used.
- Turn off computers when not in use.
- Use natural light when and where possible.
Have an idea for Virginia Beach City Public Schools that will save energy, conserve resources, or protect our environment?
Throughout the school year, staff will continue to explore various ways to save energy, conserve resources, and protect our environment. If you have an idea that could be implemented throughout the school division to support this initiative, contact sustainable schools project manager Tim Cole at j.tim.cole@vbschools.com.