The momentum of our school`s recycling program, which began at the conclusion of the `08-`09 school year, continued with a summer`s end visit to principal Sue Ice. Yours truly and my 3-1/2 year old friend Jeffrey wanted to reaffirm the Energy Advisory Panel`s (EAP) commitment to supporting the school staff`s efforts in promoting energy awareness, conservation and sustainability. Ms. Ice welcomed our visit and proudly reported that she had personally taken all school documents in need of shredding to Recycling Services of America* for certified shredding and recycling as packaging material. When Jeffrey, one of our youngest citizens, chimed in "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," Ms. Ice and I knew that our school`s recycling program was off to a great start. Throughout the summer the school`s staff has been stacking recycling for pick-up by EPA volunteers and with the volume generated it became apparent that the school was in need of its own trailer once the school year began. Without pause, Ms. Ice took action to have the school`s first recycling trailer delivered to the school property the first week of September. Head custodian Miss Evelyn was thrilled with the trailer`s delivery as it now not only makes recycling at the school a more efficient operation but helps pave the way for a brighter environmental future for the students that she deeply cares about. The arrival of the rusty, county trailer to make recycling more efficient also brought an eyesore to our school property. Enter Miss Debby, Cedar Key`s art teacher for our school and art center and school liaison to the EAP, who will challenge her students to transform the trailer into a work of art. Miss Debby has also begun collecting such recyclables as bleach bottles, cooking oil bottles and coffee cans that will be utilized in classroom curriculums such as creating Greek vases for art history as well as the school`s February 2010 "Trash 2 Art" exhibit. To help our school staff and student government provide effective leadership in the greening of our school, a workshop entitled "Embrace Zero Waste in Your Community: A Public Education Strategy" will be presented early this fall at our school by Sally Palmi, Waste Alternative Manager of Alachua County. Once again we turned to our student population, specifically our school`s student government, for their input on the progress of the school recycling program and ways that students and EAP volunteers can work together to accomplish future goals. Those goals included a slogan contest for recycling trailers, journalism contributions for the Conservation Corner, litter control on school property, fund raisers for environmental scholarships, honoring student and educator of the year who "protects tomorrow`s environment today" and a school-wide program and contest for America Recycles Day, sponsored by Florida`s EAP to be held in November.
President Zoe expressed the need for additional recycling receptacles in the school and better recycling labels for those already placed as a vivid reminder to students and staff where to deposit mixed recyclables. She also requested that the EAP have a booth at the school`s fall festival in November. Exciting and overwhelming all at once, the EAP and our school are looking forward to tackling these mutual goals and making Cedar Key School a model school for energy awareness, conservation and sustainability.
* As Levy County does not recycle shredded paper, contact Recycling Services of America, 2874 NE 1st Terrace, Gainesville, 352-379-5797, if you have large quantities of paper in need of shredding and the desire to see that paper recycled. | 
