OUR GREEN SCHOOL

MdTL set up its first compost…well, when many of us were still in school. Today through a commitment from faculty and staff and a little guidance from two allstar parents, nature’s quiet march is turning yesterday’s lunch scraps–and Lemody’s scat–into tomorrow’s clean earth. Two of our Green Committee members, Jenn and Alex Bottmeyer, and MdTL’s own Business Manager Karen Walls, decided that it was time to perfect the school’s composting efforts. When many of us were enjoying a day off, our faculty and staff were learning all about successful composting techniques; their little investment in time has spawned another compost bin, and united a movement with our neighboring Christ Presbyterian Church, to co-compost with us.

The last several months have been a period of tremendous learning for the MdTL Green Committee; with PG&E Audits, Marin Municipal Water Audits, and Solar Audits teaching each and every one of us how very necessary and simple conservation efforts can be. It’s also been a very reaffirming time because as parents we’ve been able to see how ‘green’ this little school of ours is. We’ve learned that MdTL has been: serving wholesome and organic foods, using non-toxic cleaners, biodegradable soaps, energy efficient light bulbs and fixtures, water tap screens to reduce waste, low-flow toilets, heating timers, power shut down policies and composting–all before it was in vogue to do so.
It’s only fitting that our beautiful little school should be recognized as a Certified Green Business; and the Green Committee has been working with the Marin Green Business Program to do just that. Montessori de Terra Linda has embodied a true commitment to children and to the environment for a long time, and their efforts shall be duly recognized.

So you see, as parents and committee members extending green practices to our community and our social functions, we are simply just trying to keep up with our forward thinking school. The composting, the cutting back on paper products, the sharing of information–it’s our own little way of matching your pace MdTL, and saying: Thank you Montessori de Terra Linda, for setting the bar so high.

by Amy McKelvey