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Sembach Elementary School students and staff have added a new hue to their trademark blue and yellow school colors. Members of the garrison’s Directorate of Public Works helped the school go green April 22 as part of an Earth Day celebration.
DPW officials spoke with the children about recycling and donated new recycling bins to the school’s new program. The bright yellow and blue bins will be placed in each of the classrooms to encourage children and staff to recycle their paper and plastic waste.
“We want to bring it into the school and teach children how to recycle to save our planet,” said Ewa Kondek, a contractor for the garrison’s environmental division. “I believe that it is easier to teach children rather than adults. So you can implement the recycling program for the little children, and they can also teach their friends and family how to recycle.”
Frank Schork, the garrison’s solid waste manager, said the program offers long-term benefits for both the school and the community.
“Not only is it for a better world, it also improves our overall program and saves tax payer money,” Schork said. “We waste a lot of taxpayer dollars for waste to pay our deposal companies, and I think it’s unnecessary. This is a way to help reduce those costs.”
According to school officials, this is the first time the school has done something like this. SES teacher Amy Brault said she was surprised by the children’s response.
“They’re very excited, and it’s interesting, because they know so much more about it than I think we give them credit for sometimes,” she said. “We listened to the kids’ responses during the presentations. They know a lot, and they want to take care of the Earth, and they want to recycle. I think they’re very passionate about it, and I’ve been very surprised by that.”
Staff members are optimistic the children will take that same passion for protecting the Earth home to their parents.
“I think with DPW especially, training the kids at such a young age to recycle, they were hoping that they would go home and really train their parents to recycle properly, because I think it’s an issue. Even here on base, it’s a way to save money for the government,” Brault said. “As a school, we have so much paper that we consume, and we don’t recycle it. We have the bins back behind the school, so why not? This was really just a way to educate the kids and hopefully educate the whole family.”
The children also created Earth Day themed art murals and cars, plant holders, flower vases and other everyday items using recycled materials.
