Green Montessori School | Fairfax County | McLean

Brooksfield Hosts:

1st Annual
McLean Green Day:
Organic Food, Fitness and Fun

Saturday, October 23, 2010
9am-12noon

Green Happenings

Brooksfield Teaches Kids Environmental Stewardship

The Brooksfield School has gone green, incorporating weekly environmental lessons, organic gardening and mini-composters in the classrooms. Brooksfield purchased renewable energy credits and joined the Environmental Protection Agency's green Power Partnership. Brooksfield was awarded a bronze rating, which has now been upgraded to silver following changes, such as eliminating plastics as well as foam cups and plates, installing low-flow aerators, energy efficient blinds and smart strips to reduce energy consumption. Brooksfield is now going for gold!

“Going Green”

Painting our NEW rain barrel in art class

Watering our gardens

Planting in our Sensory Garden

Brooksfield School is committed to promoting sustainability in everything we do, from the classroom to the playground. We aim to create healthy, eco-friendly learning environments for our children while instilling in them the importance of environmental stewardship. We are taking a number of steps to reduce our school’s environmental impact. As we gain more knowledge and implement green practices, we will continue to share that knowledge with our students and their families.

Our goals in greening our school include:

Creating a culture of green in our everyday school life

Integrating eco-education into regular curriculum
Involving the children in hands-on green learning exercises, such as composting and gardening
Incorporating green practices into our daily school operations

Taking steps to reduce waste, energy use, and water consumption

Implementing an effective and manageable recycling program
Integrating water-saving practices and/or technologies, including a rain barrel to reuse collected rain water
Adopting energy saving practices and, where applicable, installing energy saving devices

Supporting a green supply chain

Using green materials and office supplies
Contracting with vendors that have environmentally sound practices whenever possible

Promoting eco-awareness beyond our front doors

Engaging with our surrounding community on environmental initiatives
Educating the school’s families on ways that they can live greener

Benefits of “Going Green”
Brooksfield is now a memeber of the US Green Building Council. Protecting the health of both students and teachers, minimizing the impact on the environment, lessening energy costs, and teaching our students about environmental stewardship are a few of the many benefits of building a green school. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, studies have shown a correlation between day-lit schools and performance, and a reduced rate of asthma in schools with an improved indoor air quality. These are just a few of the benefits that have been discovered through extensive research and studies (www.buildgreenschools.org/resources/research.html).