Ocean City Intermediate School Re-Certified By Sustainable Jersey

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The Ocean City Intermediate school has been re-certified by Sustainable Jersey for Schools, the school district announced this week. It is among a group of 111 schools that achieved the Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification in 2018. A total of 779 schools and 303 school districts are participating in the program overall.

“We are thrilled to have been re-certified for the bronze award for the second year in a row because of our work to provide and maintain a healthy and safe learning environment and creating a ‘green’ school through programming, enhancements to our courtyard, professional development and support in our curriculum for sustainability,” Ocean City Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Taylor said.

The certified schools and their districts will be honored during a reception held during NJSBA Workshop 2018 in Atlantic City on Oct. 23. Workshop 2018 will feature Sustainable Jersey for Schools sessions along with NJSBA sustainability support programs for schools.

Sustainable Jersey for Schools, a program for pre-k-12 public schools in New Jersey, is voluntary, but achieving certification is not easy. Each school that is certified must submit documentation to show it has completed a balanced portfolio of the program’s sustainability actions.

With most actions worth 10 points each, bronze-level certification requires a minimum of 150 points and silver-level certification requires a minimum of 350 points. Schools and districts participating in the program completed over 3,048 sustainability actions, from performing energy audits and boosting recycling efforts to integrating sustainability into student learning and promoting student and staff wellness.

“It is a great honor to have achieved bronze level re-certification through New Jersey Sustainable Schools,” Ocean City Intermediate School Principal Geoff Haines said. “It was a total team effort, which included hard work from our Green Team and the support of our Superintendent, Board of Education, the city of Ocean City and the community. Through these supports, our staff and students have worked hard on conservation, renewable energy, recycling, sustainability, and so much more. We continue to strive towards Silver Level Certification and beyond.”

The Ocean City Intermediate School is made up of students from Ocean City and Sea Isle City in grades 4-8.

“We applaud the schools that have achieved certification this year. Their leadership and hard work will help New Jersey continue to evolve through their advancement of equitable, sustainable and innovative practices,” Sustainable Jersey Executive Director Randall Solomon said. “Becoming certified with Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a significant achievement for schools and their school district.”

“Sustainable schools provide a healthy environment, conserve resources and continually improve the well-being of the community. We are proud of the leadership of the boards of education and their superintendents, as well as the contributions of principals, teachers, education support professionals and parents in this effort,” New Jersey School Boards Association Executive Director Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod said. “Congratulations to the 111 schools that achieved Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification in 2018.”

The attached images were provided by the Ocean City Public School District