Reeds Road School Wins Sustainability Champion Award

Galloway Township, NJ -- An elementary school in Galloway Township received a Sustainability Champion Award for 2016, Sustainable Jersey for Schools announced Monday morning.

Reeds Road Elementary School was one of three schools in Atlantic County to earn the recognition, which goes to schools that have made significant progress toward sustainability and have been certified with the most Sustainable Jersey for Schools points.

Reeds Road recently earned Silver Certification with 415 points.

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.

The other two Atlantic County schools that were recognized were Egg Harbor Township High School, which also reached Silver certification, and Alder Avenue Middle School in Egg Harbor Township, which earned Bronze certification.

“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.”

Representatives from all three schools and other that earned special recognition will accept their awards at a reception during the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) Workshop 2016 on Tuesday night, Oct. 25, in Atlantic City.

Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a certification program for public schools in New Jersey. It was launched by Sustainable Jersey, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support and reward municipalities and schools as they pursue sustainability programs.

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.

Patch file photo