Dear Parents,
I write to you
today from Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I am attending an international school
teacher recruitment fair. The pace here is intense, but what a great experience
it is to meet and talk with many amazing educators from all over the world.
Speaking of intensity, a major winter storm is intensifying and is expected to
dump at least 30 cms of snow on Boston today.
The members of the Roots
& Shoots Club, are very excited to announce that AISC is getting greener
every day! AISC is removing all paper cups on February 15th. Most of
our students do carry a water bottle to school, but if your child does not have
one, you still have a few days to purchase one before the paper cups are
removed. Why is this being done? Here are some convincing reasons:
* Our calculations tell us that
the school uses more than 5,500 paper cups per day. That is about 1,000,000
paper cups per year! That means just in the elementary school we use over 2,000
cups a day.
* We know paper cups come
from trees, so think of all the trees being cut down for something we only use
one time then throw away.
* Paper cups are not
recyclable, so they just create more garbage.
For many of us, this shift will have little effect, since
most students and faculty have already adopted the practice of bringing a
reusable water bottle to school. Reducing the reliance on paper cups is not
just a great habit but is also considered an integral part of 21st
century learning. In the 2010 publication, “A Guide to Becoming a School of the
Future,” educators described the skills and understandings students should
possess to meet the challenges of this new century. It is written that
leadership, commitment to environmental issues, and collaboration are essential
for success in school and life. It is in this spirit of progressive research
and concern for a sustainable future that
AISC has reduced the availability of paper cups. Paper cups will be located in
key areas, including the corridors outside the gym.
Have a great
weekend,
Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal