District Five announces Top Recycling Awards

IRMO, SC – Lexington-Richland School District Five has named Dutch Fork Elementary, CrossRoads Middle and Chapin High schools winners of its 2013-2014 Top Recycling Award.

The recognition was created by District Five in partnership with Sonoco Recycling to honor schools that collected the highest amounts of recycling materials last school year. This year’s winners were recognized at a Sept. 22 school board meeting.

“Environmental stewardship is something that, as a district, we want to model for our students,” said District Five Coordinator of Science, Health and P.E. Beth Boland. “By celebrating the recycling efforts at our schools, we are encouraging responsible citizenship that will have lifelong effects.”

The awards were given to the elementary, middle and high schools with the highest average pounds per student of recycling materials, allowing student population to be factored into totals. Dutch Fork Elementary collected 39 pounds per student (28,782 total pounds), CrossRoads Middle collected 48 pounds per student (35,424 total pounds), and Chapin High School collected 73 pounds per student for a total of 54,058 pounds. In total, District Five collected more than 489,000 pounds of recycling material last school year – over 60,000 pounds more than the district collected during 2012-2013.

District Five Top Recycling Award winners were recognized at a Sept. 22 school board meeting. This year’s winners are Dutch Fork Elementary, CrossRoads Middle and Chapin High schools. In total, District Five collected more than 489,000 pounds of recycling material last school year – over 60,000 pounds more than the district collected during 2012-2013.

“At Dutch Fork Elementary School we are committed to developing students who care about the world in which we live,” said Dutch Fork Elementary School Principal Julius Scott. “We believe that learning in general, and learning about the environment in particular, should lead to positive social action. Recycling allows our students to be stewards of the earth while making our school and community better.”

CrossRoads Middle School Principal Jess Hutchinson added, “CrossRoads Middle School is very proud to accept this year’s recycling award.  As our students learn and grow as young citizens, we feel that it is important for them to be given opportunities to improve our community.  Our sixth grade learners have worked hard to make this program successful… many thanks to (science teacher) Mrs. Carri Tucker and the CrossRoads staff and students.”

At Chapin High School, students have participated in recycling contests, even designed a school recycling sticker, to promote their efforts. Chapin science teacher and recycling coordinator Dr. Lisa Ruth said, “Each week my students work very hard to make sure Chapin High School is recycling properly. The faculty and staff are diligent in assisting with this effort and setting a great example. My students are making a tangible impact on our environment and the hope is that this transcends the school setting and follows them in their walk through life and their interactions with everyone they know.”

Jane Hiller, education specialist for Sonoco Recycling, says school recycling programs have numerous benefits for students, staff and the community.

“Recycling is important in our schools. It reduces the education dollars districts are paying to send trash to landfills, and it also empowers students and staff as good stewards of our environment at school and beyond,” Hiller said. “Sonoco Recycling is proud to partner with Lexington-Richland Five students, faculty and staff members across the district. The district’s top recycling schools inspire us all with their efforts to conserve natural and financial resources.”