D65 Sustainability Update: May

Meet Imani "Miss Compost" Kindergartener at Oakton
Meet Imani, an Oakton Elementary student who has earned the nickname “Miss Compost!” She has been helping her fellow kindergarteners with composting in the lunchroom and says she “really wanted to help the team so the planet could be clean."
This school year, we are proud that 16 schools are composting and recycling in our D65 school lunchrooms. Thank you to our lunchroom supervisors, custodians, nutrition services team, teachers, school leaders, staff and our D65 climate action teams, who collectively make this a daily experience for our D65 students. Together, we’re doing our part to create a healthy planet!
Kicking Off: End of School Classroom and Locker Clean Out
D65 is hosting a 2024 End of School Clean Out from May 13-June 7. Learn More about this year's process and timeline. Today (May 6) we're hosting a kick-off call with all our participating schools point people to get ready to start our clean out next Monday.
Did you know? Last year, our D65 schools mobilized to gather leftover school supplies from classrooms and lockers that would typically go to the landfill. 12 schools participated and we donated over 203 boxes of new and gently used school supplies. We encouraged sharing and reuse within our schools and D65 Families, along with creating 3 School Supply Swap Closets at Haven, Dawes & Lincolnwood. Remaining items were donated to Art Makers Outpost (local), SCARCE, Books4Cause, Better World Books and Goodwill.
Delivered 3000+ new classroom & office Recycling & Landfill signs to all staff mailboxes, printed on SFI paper in reusable plastic sleeves by Friday April 19.
Launched a new School Recycling Website: learning & resource hub for our schools.
Encouraging Educators to share new recycling learning resources with their classrooms.
Sharing recycling resources with Staff.
Encouraging schools to pilot the “student recycling dance”, in hopes of streamlining recycling collection and engaging our students in recycling efforts in our schools.
Piloting 2 tandem dollies at JEH with SWANCC grant funding, in hopes of streamlining recycling and trash collection by custodians. Kudos Corner from SWANCC (end of newsletter). Welcome suggestions for grant funding to purchase 50+ more for our schools.
Inviting all D65 Educators: Join the Learning in Places Summer Summit
Learning in Places (LiP) is a model of field-based science education for students that centers equity and families’ cultural ways of knowing, is NGSS aligned, and asks questions that involve ethical deliberation and decision-making in the form of “should we” questions (what should we do?). Learning in Places (LiP) integrates literacy, civics, and social studies learning. We aim to expand students’ understanding of ‘nature-culture relations’ – that is, relations between human worlds and the natural world – towards just, sustainable, and culturally thriving forms of life.
We are inviting D65 PreK-8 educators, coaches and school leaders to join us in the exciting project! We are currently recruiting participants for the Summer Summit (August 6-8, 2024), learn more.
💚 Share your School Sustainability Spotlights by June 7 💚
Reaching out in the spirit of collaboration with an ask to share your school sustainability spotlights by Friday June 7 to include in our Positive Impact summary that's in development. Email a brief summary and photos (with approved student media releases) to Karen Bireta at biretak@district65.net.
By the end of June, I will share our positive impact summary with you all and the D65 community.
Join SAGE: Spring School Garden Conversation on May 16
D65 PTA One Fund Native Plant Sale: Volunteers Needed
Volunteers needed! Please sign up if you are able to help with setup on Thursday, May 9 or Friday, May 10, or assist at the sale on Saturday, May 11. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Spring Tree Planting at our Schools
White House Summit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds
The White House hosted the first-ever Summit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 Infrastructure on April 26th, highlighting the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to providing communities equitable access to energy efficient, climate resilient, and healthy school facilities that are conducive to learning.
The summit highlighted the pressing need for sustainable 21st-century school infrastructure and the impact that facility conditions have on student and teacher health and learning outcomes. The event also provided a deeper insight into the tools and existing commitments offered by the federal government to invest in school sustainability and infrastructure. Students, educators, administrators, parents, and other school stakeholders were invited to tune in. invited to tune in to the opening plenary and panels.
Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant
Earn up to $2000 for the development of wildlife habitat at your school! Projects must emphasize student/youth involvement with planning, development and maintenance and increase the educational and wildlife habitat values of the site. Applications due Nov. 30, learn more.
