Six Northville Elementary School Get the ‘Green’ Light

Northville Elementary Schools are getting high marks for integrating energy conservation and environmental revitalization into students’ daily routine.

The six elementary schools were recognized as “Green Schools” because of the efforts made by students, staff and parents to boost energy conservation and become stewards of the environment, Northville Public Schools Superintendent Mary Kay Gallagher told the Observer & Eccentric.

Each school was recognized with a status:

• Silver Springs Elementary received “Evergreen” status, the highest honor, with 20 points of achievement

• Amerman, Moraine, Ridge Wood and Winchester elementary received “Emerald” status, with 15 points of achievement

Schools become eligible to receive an Environmental Stewardship Designation by the number of activities they perform from each of four categories:

• Reduce/reuse recycle

• Energy

“This is important to us and needs our leadership,” Gregory Stanton, a fourth-grader at Ridge Wood, told the newspaper.

Ridge Wood has been working diligently to be environmentally conscious through activities such as waste-free lunch days, the creation of a designated bird habitat from the National Wildlife Habitat and the development of a Monarch butterfly station with a grant from the Northville Mother’s Club.

“The students have really stepped up their leadership with this and have really come to understand what it means to be environmental stewards,” said Ridge Wood teacher Sue Beth Balash, who has been working with other teachers to assist with the efforts.

To celebrate becoming a Green School, students planted trees that were donated by Home Depot.

“It feels like all our work has been worth it,” said fourth-grader Jonah Koilpillai.