From attending professional development opportunities to actively engaging our students as field supervisors on field trips, our staff leads by example and is always enthusiastic when students inquire about our schools collaborative effort to create a better environment for our collective future. Teachers, support staff, and administrators continue to learn more about environmental issues and communicate with our students about the importance of being environmentally literate citizens. They have picked up trash on our campus, brought in gardening supplies, tossed pitch forks of mulch, weeded rain gardens, donated trash bags and gloves, helped students create garden designs, and completed numerous surveys. They have also challenged themselves to lessen their personal environmental impact at school and at home.
Green Team Committee:
A new teacher committee was established in the fall of 2014 to promote environmental awareness at Thomas Viaduct Middle School and to help design our Green School application. In our first two years, the committee has been working on learning about the Green School application process, assessing our staff's professional development needs, and creating an evolving effort on our campus to produce a successful application. Our committee members represent all grades in our school, and they serve as liaisons to grade level team meetings, answering questions about environmental issues and listening to staff concerns about our school's environmental initiatives. Throughout the school year, they report back to their teams with information about upcoming projects and celebrations.
This school year, the committee has begun expanding its role. It joined forces with the STEM committee to utilize the expertise of additional staff members and has begun identifying ways to improve school-wide green initiatives. The committee has also sponsored Green Field Day and is currently working on promoting our Spring event during our Earth Week Celebration of environmental topics.
(committee members: Rebecca Ache, Robert Stimmel, Melanie Poknis, Patrick Mitton, Keith Janelli, Nakia Younger, Kyle Pottieger, Terri Stevens, Jayne Considine, Margaret Garhart, Kevin Weaver, and Polly Weber)
This school year, the committee has begun expanding its role. It joined forces with the STEM committee to utilize the expertise of additional staff members and has begun identifying ways to improve school-wide green initiatives. The committee has also sponsored Green Field Day and is currently working on promoting our Spring event during our Earth Week Celebration of environmental topics.
(committee members: Rebecca Ache, Robert Stimmel, Melanie Poknis, Patrick Mitton, Keith Janelli, Nakia Younger, Kyle Pottieger, Terri Stevens, Jayne Considine, Margaret Garhart, Kevin Weaver, and Polly Weber)
TVMS Energy Consumption Discussion:
Teachers at TVMS participated in a discussion about energy consumption in the building and strategies to reduce our usage across the school. This included a presentation by Diane Sweeney (HCPSS Energy Management Specialist) and culminated in teachers taking a look at new information and how it could be applied to their personal usage habits.
Green Field Day Preparation - Spring 2016:
All staff members were prepared and involved with outdoor education activities. County facilities were involved with delivering materials to the school. Teachers attended stand-up meetings, conducted den lessons, and supervised indoor and outdoor activities related to environmental education. Artifacts from the planning and preparation are included below.
Lesson Plan Click HERE to see it!
Power Point Click HERE to see it!
Station Guide Click HERE to see it!
Lesson Plan Click HERE to see it!
Power Point Click HERE to see it!
Station Guide Click HERE to see it!
Storm Water Literacy Program - Annually:
All 6th grade staff members and special educators have annually implemented and taught lessons which pertain to storm water management and its impact on our Chesapeake Bay watershed. Teachers have wholeheartedly become “Science” educators for the day and explored the lessons provided by their colleagues. Through extended den activities conducted quarterly, staff members have assisted students with the lessons and objectives set forth by the county curriculum office. The lessons range from reading articles about local storm water issues to evaluating various maps provided by the Planning and Zoning Department of Howard County. Lessons are adjusted annually by science staff to be timely and reflect current environmental issues. Some of the lessons used are provided in the links below.
(staff members involved, past and present: Robert Stimmel, Kevin Weaver, Kim Mahle, Emily Perry, Nakia Younger, Jordan Lim, Tee Dronenberg, Melissa Waggoner, Brian McWilliams, Conner McIntyre, Steve Manning, Nick Manning, Alison Daniels, Dava Smith, Sarah Chan, Kellie Williams, Emma Sanks, Jennifer Nelson, Melissa Lobdell, Allison Whaley, Stan Rappaport, Abbie Flynn, Denise Fader, Florence Zabler, Jayne Considine, Devin Thompson, Nathan Robeson)
Introductory Lessons Click HERE to see it!
Mid-year updates Click HERE to see it!
Spring Trip with stay back activities Click HERE to see it!
(staff members involved, past and present: Robert Stimmel, Kevin Weaver, Kim Mahle, Emily Perry, Nakia Younger, Jordan Lim, Tee Dronenberg, Melissa Waggoner, Brian McWilliams, Conner McIntyre, Steve Manning, Nick Manning, Alison Daniels, Dava Smith, Sarah Chan, Kellie Williams, Emma Sanks, Jennifer Nelson, Melissa Lobdell, Allison Whaley, Stan Rappaport, Abbie Flynn, Denise Fader, Florence Zabler, Jayne Considine, Devin Thompson, Nathan Robeson)
Introductory Lessons Click HERE to see it!
Mid-year updates Click HERE to see it!
Spring Trip with stay back activities Click HERE to see it!
Hungry Harvest - Beginning Fall 2016:
Many staff members buy from Hungry Harvest, a non-profit Maryland based organization that sells fruits and vegetables that would be otherwise thrown away by grocery stores.
(staff members involved: Jayne Considine, Dava Smith, Elizabeth Rivera, Polly Weber, Michelle Nunn, Michelle Mackall, Melissa Lobdell, Carol Evans-Turner, Florence Zabler, Alexandra Weyforth, Jennifer Merke, Tierney Ahearn, Christina Paparazzo, Melissa Berger, Stephanie Fox, Allison Miller, Teri Stevens, Nakia Younger, Emily Perry, Michael McMillion, Meghan Plofkin)
(staff members involved: Jayne Considine, Dava Smith, Elizabeth Rivera, Polly Weber, Michelle Nunn, Michelle Mackall, Melissa Lobdell, Carol Evans-Turner, Florence Zabler, Alexandra Weyforth, Jennifer Merke, Tierney Ahearn, Christina Paparazzo, Melissa Berger, Stephanie Fox, Allison Miller, Teri Stevens, Nakia Younger, Emily Perry, Michael McMillion, Meghan Plofkin)
Students Notice that Staff Members are Going Green:
What do the students notice about their teachers' environmental efforts?
The teachers at Thomas Viaduct are spreading the Green message through their displays and actions by doing many things. One thing that teachers have in their classroom is a blue "recycling" bin. Here the teachers along with the students can place paper that is already used but not completely. The backs of worksheets are often used as scrap paper and saved to be used for single sided printing in classroom printers. The vampire magnets also keep a close watch on the classrooms from the white boards as a constant reminder to reduce electrical usage. Also, teachers are using tools like GAFE and CANVAS to reduce the amount of paper used. Many students do not have to use posters for presentations any more. Much of the work can be completed using Google slides or a multitude of other resources. Canvas provides the opportunity for teachers to conduct quizzes and discussions electronically without the need for paper. Teachers are now pointing to the recycle bins to promote student awareness of their actions. Teachers turn off their lights, mute their LCD machines, and always encourage students to participate in the school's environmental activities.
The teachers at Thomas Viaduct are spreading the Green message through their displays and actions by doing many things. One thing that teachers have in their classroom is a blue "recycling" bin. Here the teachers along with the students can place paper that is already used but not completely. The backs of worksheets are often used as scrap paper and saved to be used for single sided printing in classroom printers. The vampire magnets also keep a close watch on the classrooms from the white boards as a constant reminder to reduce electrical usage. Also, teachers are using tools like GAFE and CANVAS to reduce the amount of paper used. Many students do not have to use posters for presentations any more. Much of the work can be completed using Google slides or a multitude of other resources. Canvas provides the opportunity for teachers to conduct quizzes and discussions electronically without the need for paper. Teachers are now pointing to the recycle bins to promote student awareness of their actions. Teachers turn off their lights, mute their LCD machines, and always encourage students to participate in the school's environmental activities.