Sisters High School wins "green" status

Sisters High School became the latest school in Sisters to "go green" on June 5.

The school received recognition as a Certificate of Merit Green School, as part of a statewide program that assists and supports schools in waste reduction.

According to the citation, SHS has made great strides over the school year to reduce the amount of school garbage, and it has been recycling more materials than ever before, thanks to increased support and service from the City of Sisters.

To become an Oregon Green School, students have to monitor their school's waste to determine the main sources of garbage and where recycling opportunities exist.

At Sisters High School, several students, under the direction of biology teacher Rima Givot undertook worm composting as part of a Resource Conservation class. They researched the topic and then gave lessons to several elementary classes as well as other students at the high school.

Plans are underway to implement a schoolwide composting system in the fall in order to cut back on waste coming from the cafeteria.

"A school composting program is not only a terrific hands-on tool for various curriculum areas, but it is also an effective way for schools to target a huge portion of their waste stream and significantly decrease their garbage," said Green School Coordinator Jessica Born of The Recycling Team.

A waste assessment is only one requirement for Green School recognition. Schools also have to define a sustainable recycling program, track and report the impact of their recycling on the school's waste stream, and involve and educate students and staff.

In addition to the waste reduction and energy conservation outreach that happened throughout the school year, Sisters High School also adopted a formal waste reduction policy as part of its mission and schoolwide goals.

In it, SHS affirms that it will "practice resource efficiency methods such as waste prevention, reuse, recycling, composting and buying recycled whenever possible."

The Recycling Team provides waste reduction and resource conservation education to schools and organizations throughout Deschutes County.