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JWES and MVES Recognized Again as "Virginia Naturally Schools"

Congratulations to John Wayland Elementary and Mountain View Elementary!

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries again selected both of these schools as “Virginia Naturally Schools.”  The Virginia Board of Education recognizes the Virginia Naturally School Program as the official environmental education school recognition program for the state. This program highlights the wonderful efforts of Virginia schools to promote environmental awareness and stewardship of our students.

John Wayland Elementary is to be especially commended as one of the five schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia recognized for ten consecutive years, every possible year, since the start of the program.  This is the sixth year that Mountain View Elementary has been selected as a Virginia Naturally School.

For environmental education information visit: www.vanaturally.com

To find out how your school can be recognized for its environmental education program visit:  http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/education/school-recognition/

John Wayland and Mountain View Accept Their Awards
Pam Dowrey (Asst Principal, JWES), Donna Barber (Science Teacher, JWES), Suzie Gilley, Wildlife Education Coordinator/Project WILD Coordinator, VA Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries (DGIF), Debi Rhodes (Principal, MVES)	Bill Sprinkel (Science Supervisor, RCPS), Pam Dowrey (Asst Principal, JWES), Donna Barber (Science Teacher, JWES), Suzie Gilley, Wildlife Education Coordinator/Project WILD Coordinator, VA Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries	Bill Sprinkel (Science Supervisor, RCPS), Suzie Gilley, Wildlife Education Coordinator/Project WILD Coordinator, VA Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries (DGIF), Debi Rhodes (Principal, MVES)
Photos by Janet Wendelken

 

Read below to learn how outdoor education has become an integral part of children's learning at John Wayland Elementary and Mountain View Elementary.

John Wayland Elementary has received recognition for school environmental projects over the last 10 years.  Highlights of some of the accomplishments include:

• North River Ecology Project-

• The whole school comes to Wildwood Park and visits 10 environmental stations.

• Butterfly garden at JWE

• Students and teachers plant both host plants to feed larva and plants that attract adult butterflies.

• Wildwood Park, Bridgewater, Virginia

• Students and teachers plant six butterfly beds.

• Recycling
• Students recycle paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum.

• Earth Day Grocery Bag Project-

• A local grocery store supplies paper bags.  Students paint, environmental-themed pictures on the bag.  The bags are returned to the store and handed out full of groceries on Earth Day.

• Get Nuts for Clean Water

• Students collect nuts that are used to grow seedlings for stream bank restoration.

• Earth Day

• Students clean up around the school.

• Trout In the Classroom

• Students raise trout from eggs.  In the spring when the fish grow large enough, students release them.

• Monarch Wayside

• Students raise butterflies from eggs or larvae.   When they hatch, they are tagged and released.

• Quilt Garden

•  Students and teachers plant and maintain a quilt garden containing native plants.  Children and teachers use this garden for nature study, science and language arts.

• Heifer International

• John Wayland has raised over $3500 for the Read To Feed Program, an outreach program that supports both hunger and environmental issues.

• Reading Incentive/Environmental Awareness Project

• The school has raised over $3,000 for Harper McCaughan Elementary School in Long Beach Mississippi, during the Reading Incentive/Environmental Awareness Project- “Read For Recovery”.  Harper McCaughan Elementary was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

See some of their project pictures

MVES received recognition for continued efforts in promoting environmental education.  Highlights of some of the accomplishments include:

• Environmental Courtyard

• Mountain View’s courtyard has been made into the Environmental Courtyard, where students explore habitats and ecosystems. 

• Raingarden

• Students have helped plan, plant, and maintain the school’s raingarden, where native plants soak up rainwater and runoff. 

• Recycling

• Students collect phone books, cell phones, newspapers and plastics to be recycled.  Grant money enabled the school to purchase a shed to store recycled materials.

• Composting

• Students work with red wiggler worms to demonstrate composting.

• Trout in the Classroom

• Moutain View is again participating in the Trout in the Classroom project, marking its 5th year.  It was the first Rockingham County school to host this project where students raise brook trout from eggs to fry.  Students release the 3-inch fry into Dry River and participate in a stream study.

• Adopt a Stream Program

• MVES is in its third year of adopting ½ mile of Dry River starting at Riven Rock Park.  Students participate in a river/road clean up sponsored by the Virginia Department of Conservation Resources.

• Dry River Environmental Day

• In addition to releasing brook trout and river clean up, students rotate among different learning stations featuring aspects of the watershed, hosted by volunteers from Trout Unlimited, Department of Environmental Quality, Shenandoah Soil and Water Conservation, Green Earth, and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

See some of their project pictures

 

Information compiled and submitted by Bill Sprinkel