News
February 25, 2008
NASHVILLE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS WINS TOP HONORS IN SCHOOL RECYCLING PROGRAM
“Nothing beats a failure but a try.”
That motto, a positive attitude and catering to their “customers” helped Julius Turnipseed’s ecology class win Metro’s “2007 Top Recycling School” award for Nashville School of the Arts.
As this year’s model for school recycling efforts, Nashville School of the Arts will receive a $250 cash award and other prizes. Principal Bob Wilson, faculty members and students celebrated their success by throwing an outdoor pizza party today for Mr. Turnipseed, who organized the program, and his ecology students, who were the primary recycling collectors at their school.
“We are proud to be part of this important effort for its immediate and long-term effects,” said MNPS Director Pedro E. Garcia, Ed. D. “Our students are making a difference now, which is good. They’re also understanding the need for recycling and building a set of values as to why conserving resources is important, and that is great.”
This is the second year of Metro Public Works’ “Anything That Tears” recycling program partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and Allied Waste (formerly BFI). Approximately 80 MNPS schools participated and recycling volumes were measured for seven weeks to determine the winning school. Metro Beautification and Environment supplies recycling bins for the schools, and Allied Waste provides dumpsters which are emptied weekly.
Allied Waste also provides the $250 top prize cash award for the winning school.
Turnipseed wanted to create a school recycling program at Nashville School of the Arts because “I know how important it is for us as a society to come up with better ways to handle our waste products.”
The first step was for his ecology students to visit Metro’s Recycle Education Classroom “so the students could see the recycling process and understand its importance,” he said. The students ran their program as if it were a job – a company providing a service to and making it simple for their customers to use.
“These students, their sponsor, and along with the support of their school’s administration did a terrific job. Their fine example as good environmental stewards will help us expand this effective and meaningful recycling program so that all schools in our community can participate in this important effort,” said Veronica Frazier, executive director of Metro Beautification and Environment Commission (MBEC).
In early 2006, Metro Public Works, MNPS and Allied Waste initiated school recycling with a pilot program in the Hunter’s Lane school cluster with 11 schools participating. Last year’s winning school was Neely’s Bend Middle School. Plans are underway for next school year to further expand this worthy program to remaining schools at MNPS.
Other schools making the 2007 contest Top 10 and deserving honorable mention for their recycling efforts are: Glencliff High School, Percy Priest Elementary, Neely’s Bend Middle, Napier Enhanced Option, Gra-Mar Middle, JT Moore Middle, Bordeaux Elementary, Antioch Middle and Pearl-Cohn Magnet High School.
For more information about efforts to promote recycling in Metro schools, visit
http://www.nashville.gov/beautification .
NASHVILLE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS TO CELEBRATE WINNING TOP RECYCLING SCHOOL CONTEST
WHO: Students, faculty and staff of Nashville School of the Arts
WHAT: Outdoor pizza party and appreciation ceremony hosted by Allied Waste, Public Works and Metro Beautification and Environment
WHEN: Tuesday, May 15, 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Nashville School of the Arts, 1250 Foster Avenue
WHY: Nashville School of the Arts is the top recycling school in the “Anything That Tears” School Recycling Program sponsored by Metro and Allied Waste. Allied will donate $250 to Principal Robert Wilson for the school’s recycling efforts.
Background
In early 2006, Public Works, Metro Nashville Public Schools and Allied Waste (formerly BFI) initiated a Pilot Recycling Program in the Hunter’s Lane school cluster, and 11 schools participated. This year, the effort was Metro-wide, and 80 schools participated in the “Anything That Tears” contest by measuring their recycling volumes for seven weeks.
Teacher Julius Turnipseed and his ecology class coordinated the program at Nashville School of the Arts.
“Anything That Tears” refers to Metro’s efforts to remind all Nashville residents they can conveniently recycle any paper materials that can be torn apart by hand.
For more information about efforts to promote recycling in Metro schools, visit http://www.nashville.gov/beautification .