Environment Week is Week 30, beginning April 17^th. Please read the following information to be prepared for the week’s activities. Thank you for supporting the environmental education of our students!

Week 29 – 1 week prior to Environment Week

• We will have environment assemblies for all Primary students. The Y6 and Y4/5 assemblies will be Wednesday, April 12th. The Y1-3 assembly will be on Thursday, April 13th.
• Class teachers to remind students of Environment Week events (especially Book Swap and Meatless Monday).

Week 30 – Environment Week

• Each year level to teach at least one lesson with an environmental focus during this week. This lesson can be in any subject and is planned by the year level. Be sure to check out the Environment Week folder on the servers at both RP and CP for extra activities and Guided Reading resources!  smb://10.3.1.1/Teachers/@Teachers Pub/@PRIMARY/Environment/Environment Week

• All Specialists to integrate the environment into their lessons this week.

• Paperless homework to be organised by each year level for the week. Does not necessarily have to be electronic homework as it can be a combination of reading, electronic, listening/speaking, etc.

• Tania will have environmentally themed books on display in the library. Encourage your students to check them out!

• We will have a display in the red courtyard at RP. Students will be asked to add a fun fact about an endangered animal to the display. This can be made part of the homework before or during Environment Week. More details to come.

• In lieu of silkworms, the Environment PLC would like to gift each homeroom class with a class plant. You will receive seeds, a pot and soil to grow a dwarf sunflower on your windowsill. Please give the responsibility of watering the class plant to the students.

• Monday, April 17^th is Meatless Monday. Students can choose all of the entrees available that day (including the teachers’ lunch). Please see attachment below for helpful, kid-friendly information about how reducing our meat consumption can help the environment.

Issue 507 News Debate – Less Meat

• Monday, April 17th – For parents, we are organising a Clothing Exchange in the RP auditorium. This will be advertised to parents via the parent blog. All staff are also welcome to participate!
• Tuesday, April 18^th is our Book Swap. The red courtyard (RP) will be set up with tables, and books will be sorted according to approximate age levels. Please see details at the bottom of post.

• Also on Tuesday, April 18th, we have our whole school assembly with an environmental theme. If you have any children that are deserving of a Global Child award, please inform our co-principals. The assembly will begin at 8:30am.

• Friday, April 21st is Green Dress Day. Students and staff are encouraged to dress in green and donate 25RMB for the endangered animals we are sponsoring for the World Wildlife Fund https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions.aspx The Environment PLC will provide envelopes for teachers to collect donations and Student Council members will collect the money from each class around lunch time (RP) and Y6 classes should send their donations to Liz (CP). Year levels will organise their own Green Dress Day photos.

After Environment Week

Although we focus on the environment with a fun, activity-filled theme week, we can continually foster a love for nature in our students and instil a sense of responsibility towards care of the earth. As teachers, we have the power to inspire our students every day of the school year and hopefully for the rest of their lives.

Additional Book Swap Information

Tuesday, April 18^th 2017 is our Book Swap. The red courtyard (RP) will be set up with tables, and books will be sorted according to approximate age levels.

• The red courtyard will be closed for all recesses this day.
• At morning and lunch recess, one co-teacher from each class needs to be in the red courtyard with the tally list of students who brought in books and how many
• Only students that brought in books to swap should be allowed to enter the red courtyard.
• Students can browse and take books during morning and lunch recess. As they take books, class teachers can cross the number of books they take off the class tally.
• Make sure students are not taking books from higher year levels.
• Students can choose a maximum of 10 books to take. If they bring in more than 10 books these will be considered a donation
• If a child has brought in 10 books and would like to take 10, allow them to take 5 during the first recess and then come back for 5 more later on at lunch. A maximum of 5 books can be chosen at once. This will help keep a wider and fairer selection available to all students.
• Please speak with your class beforehand about the purpose of the swap and the possibility of not finding all the books they want. If they brought in 5 books but only walk away with 4, then it is still a good deal. Perhaps they can find a book to give to their brother or sister. Remind them that leftover books will be donated.
• The book swap and tables will be tidied up during afternoon recess so that the red courtyard is available for ASAs.
• Because this is the second time we’ve done a school-wide swap for Environment Week, we are most happy to receive constructive feedback and suggestions for the future!

Environment Week 2016 – Staff Information

Environment Week is next week (Week 31 – beginning April 18^th)! Please read the following information to be prepared for the week’s activities. Thank you for supporting the environmental education of our students!

Week 30 – 1 week prior to Environment Week

• In class, teachers speak with students about what a pledge is and what they can do to help the environment. Students and teachers write a pledge on their handprint. Class teachers, once your class pledges are ready, you can blu-tack them to the tree display in the red courtyard (RP) or library window (CP).
• Class teachers to remind students of Environment Week events.

Week 31 – Environment Week

• Each year level to teach at least one lesson with an environmental focus during this week. This lesson can be in any subject and is planned by the year level. Be sure to check out the Environment Week folder on the servers at both RP and CP for extra activities and Guided Reading resources!

• All Specialists to integrate the environment into their lessons this week.

• Paperless homework to be organised by each year level for the week. Does not necessarily have to be electronic homework as it can be a combination of reading, electronic, listening/speaking, etc.

• Tania will have environmentally themed books on display in the library. Encourage your students to check them out!

• Each class will have silkworms. Please click on the attachments below for some care instructions and interesting facts. Lynn Xie will place some egg cartons in the staff room at RP. These make great homes for the worms and will be useful if you eventually want to send some home with children.

How to Care For SilkWorms

Interesting Silkworm Facts

• To promote less packaging and food waste, we will have a Waste-free Week. Please encourage your students to pack waste-free snacks and lunches all week (and always!). Also, remind your students to eat what they take and to kindly ask the cafeteria staff for small portions if they just want to try a dish.

• Monday, April 18^th is Meatless Monday. Students can choose all of the entrees available that day (including the teachers’ lunch). Please see attachment below for helpful, kid-friendly information about how reducing our meat consumption can help the environment.

Issue 507 News Debate – Less Meat

• Tuesday, April 19^th is our Book Swap. The red courtyard (RP) will be set up with tables, and books will be sorted according to approximate age levels. Please see details at the bottom of post. Year leaders at CP will brief their teams about book swap details at CP.

• TREEcycling at RP will be collected in the red courtyard starting Thursday, April 21st. Bins will be labeled with team colours and cordoned off for neatness and safety. Encourage children to collect paper and cardboard at home to bring in at the end of the week for recycling.

• Friday, April 22nd is Green Dress Day. Students and staff are encouraged to dress in green and donate 25RMB for the endangered animals we are sponsoring for the World Wildlife Fund https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions.aspx . The Environment Committee will provide envelopes for teachers to collect donations and Year 4 Student Council will collect the money from each class around lunch time (RP) and Y5/6 classes should send their donations to Liz (CP). Year levels will organise their own Green Dress Day photos.

RP Book Swap Details

Tuesday, April 19^th is our Book Swap. The red courtyard (RP) will be set up with tables, and books will be sorted according to approximate age levels. Year leaders at CP will brief their teams about book swap details at CP.

• The red courtyard will be closed for all recesses this day.
• At morning and lunch recess, one co-teacher from each class needs to be in the red courtyard with the tally list of which students brought in how many books.
• Only students that brought in books to swap should be allowed to enter the red courtyard.
• Students can browse and take books during morning and lunch recess. As they take books, class teachers can cross the number of books they take off the class tally.
• If a child has brought in 10 books and would like to take 10, allow them to take 5 during the first recess and then come back for 5 more later on at lunch. We would like a maximum of 5 books to be chosen at once. This will help keep a wider and fairer selection available to all students.
• Please speak with your class beforehand about the purpose of the swap and the possibility of not finding all the books they want. If they brought in 5 books but only walk away with 4, then it is still a good deal. Perhaps they can find a book to give to their brother or sister. Remind them that leftover books will be donated.
• The book swap and tables will be tidied up during afternoon recess so that the red courtyard is available for ASAs.
• Because this is the first time we’ve done a school-wide swap for Environment Week, we are most happy to receive constructive feedback and suggestions for the future!