Green Schools: What are they and how can we get there?

Have you ever wondered how you could help our Piedmont schools become more “green”?

The Beach Parents’ Organization’s
Green Committee

Invites parents, teachers, community and school leaders from all the Piedmont schools to a presentation and community discussion of:

Green Schools:

What are they? How can we get there?

Thursday, May 8th 7:15-8:45 pm at the Beach School Auditorium

Presentation and Slideshow by Deborah Moore, Executive Director of the Green Schools Initiative on

• 7 Steps to a Green School : How have other schools “gone green” and what are some of the best practices for organizing this process?
• The 4 Pillars of a green school:
  • Strive for a toxics-free environment
  • Use resources sustainably
  • Create a green and healthy space
  • Teach students to be stewards of their communities, the earth, and its resources

  Presentations by parents from each Piedmont school (Beach, Havens, Wildwood, Middle School, High School and Millennium) on

  • Current green efforts at the schools (successes and challenges)

  Discussion

  • How can we coordinate our efforts and move forward together?

This is a great opportunity to make connections with each other and to start putting the Piedmont schools on the map within the national trend towards greener schools!

For more information or to let us know that you want to participate, contact Margaret Ovenden at movenden@sbcglobal.net

BPO Meeting Agenda – February 11h 2008, 7:30pm

Beach Parent Organization

Agenda

Monday, Feb. 11, 2008

Multipurpose Room, Beach School

 

Call to Order and Introductions 7:30 pm

 

PUSD Budget Update                                      Superintendent Connie Hubbard          

 

Lois B. Rawlings Educational

Inspiration Award                                             John Morrison or Chuck Chakravartul                                                 

Secretary’s Report                                                       Sherrie Jewett

 

Principal’s Message                                                      Julie Valdez

           

BPO President’s Report                                               Sue Lin            

 

BPO Treasurer’s Report                                               Amal Smith

 

Committee Reports

            Piedmont Educational Foundation                     Lupe Dryburgh

            Piedmont Appreciating Diversity                       Angela Hom

Parent Education                                              Margaret Ovenden

Nominating Committee                         Joe Loduca

Hot Lunch                                                        Kimberly Moses

 

Candidates                                                       Margaret Fujioka, City Council

                                                                        Dean Barbieri, City Council

                                                                        Martha Jones, School Board

                                                                        June Monach, School Board President

 

 

Adjourn at 9:00 pm

 

 

Children’s Environmental Health

SAVE THE DATE:

Wednesday April 2, 7:00-8:45 p.m.

Environmental Contaminants and Your Child’s Health:
What Does the Science Say? What Can You Do?

A Parent Education Evening at Beach School Auditorium
Presented by the Tri-School Parents’ Clubs

Do you feel confused or alarmed by conflicting news stories about which products, foods and environments are safe for your child and which are hazardous? You aren’t alone! It’s hard to sort through all the information that is available and to know which is reliable. Over the past 60 years, the volume of chemicals that we use or are exposed to in our daily lives has increased dramatically. Much of the health impact of this trend is still unknown, but some of it is known (even if this information is not always disseminated well to the public). We are very fortunate to have a panel of experts in children’s environmental health joining us to discuss the latest findings, answer your questions, and offer some practical steps you can take to protect your children’s health in three areas:

Indoor Air Quality: What effects can our indoor environment have on our children’s health? What can you do to minimize your child’s exposures to pollutants such as VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) indoors? What are “green” products? What is a “green” school? What strategies, tools and information can you use to make informed decisions on purchases to prevent adverse exposures? Speaker: Toni Stein, Ph.D. California Dept. of Public Health – Indoor Air Quality Section

Pesticides: Are pesticides commonly used in the home and garden hazardous for children? What are some non-toxic or safer alternatives? Are pesticides and mercury really a concern in food? Is it important to buy organic? Speaker: Mark Miller, MD, MPH. Director of UCSF’s Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) and Public Health Medical Officer for the California EPA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

Plastics: Which types of plastics are safe for use by children and which pose a threat (and why)? What is the latest research on the endocrine disrupting (hormone mimicking or altering) effects of phthalates (chemicals used in plastics manufacture)? What are the risks of exposure to bisphenol A (found in many plastics)? Speaker: Tracey Woodruff, Ph.D., MPH. Associate Professor and Director, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF (And Beach mom!)

For more information, contact Margaret Ovenden at movenden@sbcglobal.net

Childcare will be available with Beach Schoolmates staff in the Beach Multipurpose Room. Call Sarah Normart at (510) 420-3077 to make a reservation.