Green Star Schools

Green Star Schools

Schoolyards Checklist

Introduction

Efforts to green existing schoolyards can enhance the outdoor learning environment, to transform school grounds into ecological landscapes. Since students spend on average 25% of their school day in the schoolyard,[1]schools across the country are beginning to transform conventional landscaping and sterile playgrounds into vibrant learning landscapes. The resulting schoolyards can feature edible food gardens, native plants, solar features, rain water catchment, bioswales to filter stormwater run-off, shade and natural play structures while incorporating integrated pest management (IPM) and sustainable gardening and farming practices. These features provide many teaching and learning opportunities.

Schoolyard Facts:

Composting plant debris onsite can help reduce the 2.7 million tons of plant debris landfilled each year in California.[2]
In a developed landscape, as much as 70% of all rain and irrigation water moves through a site without being filtrated through the soil, collecting toxic compounds such as pesticides, gasoline and oil from parking lots which are then discharged into local creeks and eventually the SF Bay and/or the Pacific Ocean.[3]
Ecological landscapes can offer overall maintenance cost savings of 80 – 90% over a 10-year period.[4]
During a 1-inch rain, 625 gallons of water can be collected from a 1,000 square feet roof and stored for irrigation use.[5]

According to Lieberman and Hoody, (1998) students engaged in using the school’s surroundings or Environment as an Integrating Context for learning (EIC), can increase student performance on standardized-testing; and reduce disciplinary problems by increasing student engagement and enthusiasm.Schoolyard greening projects can provide tremendous opportunities for students, teachers, staff and community members to reduce a school’s ecological footprint, maintenance costs and contribute to building sustainable communities by decreasing natural resource consumption, mitigating the impact of stormwater run-off, reducing the heat-island effect on school grounds, conserving water, building wildlife habitat and increasing biodiversity.

This section includes:

A Schoolyard Checklist

This checklist can be used to identify the measures your school is currently taking in addition to providing ideas for initiatives your school may want to pursue in the future.

A Schoolyard Audit

This audit worksheet will help your school capture essential information as you walk through your schoolyard.

A Resource Guide

To receive recognition as a Green Star School, each participating school must meet the minimum requirement in each section of the Schoolyard Checklist.

1 Star / 2 Stars / 3 Stars
Meet all "mandatory" requirements and 1 "Reach for the Stars" requirements under all sections for 2-3 pathways / Meet all "mandatory" requirements and 2 "Reach for the Stars" requirements under all sections for 4-5 pathways / Meet all "mandatory" requirements and 3 "Reach for the Stars" requirements under all sections for 6-7 pathways

Directions

Fill in the school name and other information at the top of the form.
For each action that your school completed, place a check mark in the appropriate box.
Email the completed form to:

Date: School Name: School Address:

Circle One:PublicCharterPrivate

Person Completing Checklist:

Title: Teacher Principal Custodian Student Parent Other

Phone: Email:

I. Institutional Commitment:

Mandatory

Green Team - Form a Green Team (Green Team members should include members from the whole school community: teachers, students, administrator(s), custodian(s) and parents/guardians).

Policy - Adopt a school-wide policy for a green schoolyard that includes all of the following:

A school-wide Integrated Pest Management policy. [6]

Check here if this is a District decision

A Vegetation Policy and Maintenance Plan for schoolyard landscaping and gardens to ensure coordination between buildings and grounds, students, teachers, parents and community volunteers.

Check here if this is a District decision

For newly remodeled or constructed buildings, plan and develop to keep surface water away from the building (Grading & Paving).[7]

For newly remodeled or constructed buildings, develop a water budget for landscape irrigation use.[8]

For newly remodeled or constructed buildings, employ moisture control measures (Weather Resistance and Moisture Control).[9]

Reach for the Stars

Supplemental Actions – For a higher rating, choose from the actions below:

* = choose 1 action** = choose 2 actions*** = choose 3 actions

Instructional school garden(s).[10]

Opportunities for teachers and students to teach, play and learn in natural settings integrating the schoolyard into curriculum and other opportunities for the intellectual, social and emotional development of students.

Sun-smart policy to protect students and teachers from over-exposure in the schoolyard outlining shade and sun protection strategies.

Inclusion of nature play features and opportunities for students during recess.

For newly remodeled or constructed buildings, conserve existing habitat and restore other natural areas with native plants.[11]

Encourage the district to adopt a district-wide policy for schoolyard greening.

II. Education:

1. Introduce Topic and Principles

Mandatory

Develop and implement a Scope and Sequence plan that ensures all students, during the course of their education at the school, have been introduced to topics related to Green Schoolyards such as climate change, natural resource and water conservation, the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot), wildlife habitat, etc. through lessons or classroom activities. Share the plan with the Green Star Schools Program.

Reach for the Stars

Supplemental Actions – For a higher rating, choose from the actions below:

* = choose 1 action** = choose 2 actions*** = choose 3 actions

List activity accomplished to introduce green schoolyard topics and principles to the school community: ______

2. Conduct a Schoolyard Audit

Mandatory

Conduct a yearly school-wide schoolyard audit.

Use the attached Schoolyard Audit worksheet to investigate a variety of existing features in the schoolyard, identify current management practices and learn about how the schoolyard is utilized for teaching, learning and play. A class or group of students, with the guidance of an adult, should perform the audit. Schoolyard resource use and conservation measures will also be calculated. Through the audit, students will be able to determine where opportunities exist to conserve resource use in the schoolyard as well as ways to enhance schoolyard features.

Conduct on-going monitoring.

Create a monitoring team to regularly assess the schoolyard greening efforts at least twice a year and make recommendations on how to improve the current practices and infrastructure. This team can be part of the school’s Green Team or school garden club.[12]

3. Take Action:

a) Students Take Action:

Mandatory

Students, with the guidance of a teacher or advisor, prepare a school-wide schoolyard greening plan based on the Schoolyard Audit results. The plan will target specific areas for greening.

Students present the results of the school-wide Schoolyard Audit and plan to the school community including the administration.

Reach for the Stars

Supplemental Actions – For a higher rating, choose from the actions below:

* = choose 1 action** = choose 2 actions*** = choose 3 actions

Audits and Home Surveys

Students and their families conduct a home audit to investigate a variety of features in their yards.

Students develop a database to record information, draw graphs and analyze the data from the Schoolyard Audit.

Clubs and Partnerships

Students partner with community groups, non-profits, or businesses on greening the schoolyard or Bay Friendly Gardening related projects.

Composting

Students maintain compost bin(s) in the schoolyard or school garden.

Purchase or solicit donations of compost and/or mulch from local organic materials such as plant or wood waste.

Soil

Students compare and contrast the different types of soil found in the schoolyard such as density, air spaces, presence of living organisms, texture, feel, etc.

Students take samples of soil from various sites throughout the schoolyard and test the soil to assess moisture holding capacity, nutrient content and soil structure.

Students determine the PH level of soil by using litmus paper and investigate how different plants respond to soils with different PH levels.

Teaching Gardens

Students start a rain garden, organic edible garden, wildlife habitat garden or drought tolerant demonstration area including signage and teaching opportunities.

Students observe the life cycle of plants in the classroom or school garden by growing plants from seed.

Students study the conditions required for plants to grow and create an experiment that investigates variables that effect plant growth such as light, water, air, space and nutrients.

Flora and Fauna

Students build animal shelters (birdhouses, etc.,) out of salvaged or recycled materials to provide shelter for wildlife.

Students conduct a wildlife habitat scavenger hunt on campus to identify and learn about native animals that live in the schoolyard and ways to increase habitat in the schoolyard.

Ecological Schoolyard Design & Features

Students create signage identifying the environment features of the green schoolyard.

Students participate in a schoolyard mapping activity collecting an inventory and site map of existing structures, conditions and uses of the schoolyard.

Students interview their peers about how they use the schoolyard and features they would like to have in order to make the schoolyard a better place to socialize, play, learn and interact with the natural environment.

Students participate in all stages of planning, designing and implementing a schoolyard greening project.

Students create a schoolyard weather station and record daily measurements and the effects on plants and animals in the schoolyard.

Create a schoolyard plant nursery to propagate plants for your schoolyard landscape.

Watershed, Waterflows and Erosion

Students research their local watershed and identify ways to reduce storm water runoff on from school roof, parking lot and grounds.

Other. List an activity(s) accomplished by students to integrate green schoolyards into the school community: ______

b) Teachers and Staff Take Action (students learn through modeling):

Mandatory

Recycle organic material (food scraps, school garden waste) if a commercial organics collection program is available or by using onsite composting systems for just garden/green waste.

Reach for the Stars

Supplemental Actions – For a higher rating, choose from the actions below:

* = choose 1 action** = choose 2 actions*** = choose 3 actions

Provide opportunities for outdoor educational experience.

If schools decide to have an organics collection service (if available) compost food scraps, set up a food scraps collection containers in cafeterias and other eating areas.

Staff members conduct an audit to investigate a variety of existing features in their yards, identify current management practices.

Set up and maintain one classroom worm composting bin in the classroom or school garden. C (Washington)

Advise an Environmental Club, Schoolyard Greening Club or Conservation Club that focuses on schoolyard greening projects in your school and community.

Organize a fieldtrip to visit another school site or park for inspiration and ideas.

Other. What are some other actions staff and teachers do to help green the schoolyard? ______

4. Outreach:

Mandatory

Encourage and publicize the schoolyard greening action steps and results at school and at home through signs, daily announcements, newsletters, websites, bulletin boards or assemblies, etc., every year.

Provide students, parents/ guardians, faculty, and custodians information about the school’s schoolyard greening procedures and program at the beginning of every school year.A (sfusd)

Reach for the Stars

Supplemental Actions – For a higher rating, choose from the actions below:

* = choose 1 action** = choose 2 actions*** = choose 3 actions

Students design displays for common spaces to educate students and staff about the school's green schoolyard program and list actions that they can take at school and at home.

Students develop and send surveys out to parents regarding green schoolyard and Sustainable Gardening and Landscaping practices at school and at home.

Students create pamphlets for parents informing them about the environmental benefits of Sustainable Gardening and Landscaping.

Students teach other students activities or lessons related to greening the schoolyard.

Students perform a skit, puppet show, or other type of educational entertainment related to greening the schoolyard to other students, community members, or another school.

Students create a GS Schoolyard newsletter written and published by students to inform the school community about schoolyard projects.

Students create field guides that teach other students, parents and community members about the plants and animals found on school grounds.

Issue a press release(s) to local media outlets about the schoolyard greening efforts and results of the program.

Establish a relationship with a sister school internationally or research three local or international schools to learn what they are doing to green their schoolyard and how they are measuring and evaluating their results. Present your findings to the school community or other appropriate audience.

Organize a class or school project to protect the local watershed (e.g. stenciling storm drains, restoring a stream, writing pamphlets or brochures about point source and non-point source pollution) to distribute to school neighbors.

Organize Community Build days inviting parents and community members to work on schoolyard projects.

Provide community garden plots on campus for families that do not have access to garden at home.

Create a guide to Integrated Pest Management for the home and share with parents and community members.

Other. List an Outreach action that has been accomplished by the school community to integrate green schoolyards into the school community: ______

5. Reflection and Celebration

Mandatory

Students facilitate a school-wide celebration to honor new schoolyard greening initiatives and environmental benefits achieved, and to recognize the school community for on-going support.

At least twice a year, update all students, parents/ guardians, staff, buildings and grounds and maintenance staff, and custodians about the school’s green schoolyard efforts. A

Recognize at least once per year the class(es), club(s), and/or custodian(s)/ building and grounds and maintenance staff that have led the school’s green schoolyard programthrough rallies, awards, etc. A

Reach for the Stars

Supplemental Actions – For a higher rating, choose from the actions below:

* = choose 1 action** = choose 2 actions*** = choose 3 actions

Other. List Reflection and Celebration actions accomplished by the school community to integrate green schoolyards into the school community: ______

6. Professional Development

Mandatory

Based on the your school’s Scope and Sequencing plan, have appropriate teaching staff participate in or facilitate workshops that include how to integrate topics related to Green Schoolyards such as climate change, natural resource and water conservation, the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot), wildlife habitats, etc. into classroom lessons or activities.

Provide Green Schoolyard training for staff, parents and volunteers working on schoolyard greening projects.

Introduce school staff to the school's green schoolyard program at the beginning of every school year through staff in-service trainings. B (king)

Reach for the Stars

Supplemental Actions – For a higher rating, choose from the actions below:

* = choose 1 action** = choose 2 actions*** = choose 3 actions

Prepare a case study of your school’s green schoolyard accomplishments and share it with the Green Star Schools program.

Work with other teachers at your school to coordinate activities access Green Star Schools pathways and grade levels.

Request a training from the district on IPM for building, grounds and maintenance staff in addition to school garden coordinators or staff working in the school garden or landscape.

Other. List Professional Development activity(s) accomplished by staff to integrate green schoolyards into the school community: ______

III. Facilities/Maintenance

Is your school currently a CHPS or LEED, Green Business certified school?

 Yes______Year certified______

 No ______

If Yes, then you may have met some of the mandatory facility requirements below.

Mandatory

Protect all bare soil in the schoolyard by applying mulch.

Check here if this is a District decision

Eliminate and prevent planting invasive species.[13]

Check here if this is a District decision

Use Integrated Pest Management design to prevent pest problems such as sheet mulching to control weeds and organic pest management.

Check here if this is a District decision

For newly remodeled or constructed buildings, implement on-site stormwater management and pollution prevention plan.[14]

Check here if this is a District decision

For newly remodeled or constructed buildings, divert stormwater run-off onsite through the use of conservation landscapes, retention ponds, or grassy swales, etc.[15]

Reach for the Stars

Supplemental Actions – For a higher rating, choose from the actions below:

* = choose 1 action** = choose 2 actions*** = choose 3 actions

Energy

Install a solar powered fountain where students can learn about sources of alternative energy.

Composting

Keep plant debris onsite by producing mulch and compost from plant debris and food scraps.

Grasscycle when possible by keeping grass clippings on any lawn areas after mowing.

Collect and recycle plant debris that cannot be used onsite for mulch or compost.

Compost yard waste from school ground on campus or at another site in the district or collect it in a yard waste/organics bin(s) that is serviced by the hauler. C

Soil

Protect soil from compaction and control soil erosion.