The Alabama State Department of Education recently recognized two Over the Mountain Schools for reducing environmental impact, promoting health and ensuring a high-quality environmental and outdoor education.
Homewood Middle School in Homewood and Brock’s Gap Intermediate School in Hoover have been named the state’s 2014 Green Ribbon Schools.
Both schools are now in the running for the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon School Program. National honorees will be announced on April 22.
“These Alabama schools have been nominated and chosen based on their dedication to environmentally sustainable and innovative practices. They are a model for our state. We are very proud to see new schools join the Green Ribbon Schools honorees this year,” said Dr. Tommy Bice, state superintendent of education.
Homewood Middle School was the only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver-certified middle school in the nation in 2008 and the first LEED-certified building in Alabama.
In February 2012, a team of teachers organized a school-wide recycling program that taught important skills to students with special needs. The students advertise the recycling program, work to make the program more efficient and manage the materials that are recycled. The middle and high school recycling programs have worked with local nonprofits to ensure the continuing success of the program.
Homewood Middle School has a community garden aimed at helping students make healthy environmental decisions. Special education students harvest herbs and vegetables, English language learners have language lessons in the garden and participate in the environmental club, and gifted and general education students study the complexities of planning and maintaining a garden.
The school’s “The Movement” program promotes healthy lifestyles and provides an opportunity for employees to not only improve fitness for themselves but also model wellness for students. The SOS/FIT employee wellness program started five years ago with spin classes available for students during school and for school employees before and after school hours.
Brock’s Gap Intermediate School is a relatively new school in the Hoover system, but its building is familiar to many in the community. In an effort to alleviate overcrowding, the city system implemented a building realignment and “recyclabuilding” plan. At the heart of the plan was a new intermediate school that was “recycled” from the old R.F. Bumpus Middle School.
Daylighting is an important component of the school’s design. The lunchroom is designed to use natural light to illuminate its space as a way to reduce reliance on electric lighting during the daytime.
Students conduct online research, create websites, maintain blogs, assemble multimedia presentations, produce videos, use global-positioning-system devices and other nature apps to acquire scientific data and manipulate technological equipment to acquire and record knowledge and understanding.
As existing hardware wears out, BGIS is planning to replace its desktop computers with handheld personal devices, which function without hard drives with processing done by servers. These devices use less energy and consequently emit less heat, which, in a room of 30 or more machines, helps lessen air-conditioning costs.
Despite changing budgets, BGIS has been improving school meals and working to teach students to make healthy choices at school and at home. BGIS is making kid favorites using leaner meats, whole grain ingredients and less sodium or added sugar.
All students and grade levels participate in a minimum of 120 minutes of scheduled physical education a week.
Future plans for BGIS green technologies include the ability to look at real-time usage of power, water and gas as well as the utilization of energy management software.
Over the Mountain schools account for two of the three schools honored by the state this year. The third school named a state Green Ribbon School is F. E. Burleson Elementary School in Hartselle.
All of the schools will receive recognition from the Alabama Board of Education at its May 14 meeting.
