Reeds Road School Earns Silver Certification From Sustainable Jersey

Galloway Township, NJ -- Reeds Road Elementary School is one of five schools in the state that earned Silver Certification from Sustainable Jersey for Schools, the organization announced on Tuesday.

In all, 83 schools from 24 districts in 13 counties achieved either Bronze or Silver certification from the group. Silver Certification is the more advanced certification, according to the organization.

Each school that is certified at the bronze-level must submit documentation to show it has completed a balanced portfolio of the program’s sustainability actions, attaining a minimum of 150 points. Silver-level certification requires that a school reach a minimum of 350 points. The program is voluntary.

“Nothing in life is difficult; things only take time,” Reeds Road Elementary School Principal Dr. Bill Zipparo said. “And most people have a tendency to equate putting in time with something being difficult. At Reeds Road School this was our approach to earning the silver-level certification. Yes, it took time but everyone worked as a team to produce this wonderful sustainable program. The K-6 students were so excited to place their compost in the bins at lunch and record which composting bin was working the best. The knowledge that the students gained through this initiative will be long lasting and will certainly carry over as the years unfold at our school. We were truly fortunate to have had this opportunity to make our world a little bit greener.”

The other schools to earn Silver Certification included: Cape May City Elementary School (Cape May City School District); H. Russell Swift Elementary School and Egg Harbor Township High School (Egg Harbor Township School District); and Holland Township Elementary School (Holland Township School District).

The schools will be honored at a reception held during NJSBA Workshop 2016 in Atlantic City. Workshop 2016 will feature Sustainable Jersey for Schools sessions along with NJSBA sustainability support programs for schools.

“In two years, 118 schools have achieved Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification,” Sustainable Jersey for Schools said. “A total of 509 schools and 204 school districts are participating in the program overall.”

“Becoming certified with Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a significant achievement for schools and their school district,” said Donna Drewes who co-directs Sustainable Jersey with Randall Solomon. “We’re thrilled with the number of schools that achieved certification and we share this success with the eight partner organizations that have joined us in this effort.”

The Sustainable Jersey for Schools program partners include: New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA), New Jersey Association of School Business Officials (NJASBO), New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), New Jersey Parent Teacher Association (NJPTA), New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA), New Jersey School Buildings and Grounds Association (NJSBGA) and The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey.

“We are proud of the leadership provided by the boards of education and their superintendents, as well as the contributions of principals, teachers, education support professionals and parents, that made this important milestone a reality,” said Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, New Jersey School Boards Association executive director. “We congratulate the schools on achieving Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification."