On Saturday, April 18, Godwin Middle School kicked off their “Going Green” week by holding an outside “clean up and spruce up” day. Students, parents, and staff members volunteered to help in the effort. Trash was picked up, weeds dug up, bulbs planted, and shrubs replaced. “This was definitely a community effort,” said Principal Veronica Abrams.
The Godwin PTO donated the shrubs and Abrams donated the flower bulbs. After working for four hours, the grounds looked amazing. The students worked very hard and many of them commented on how much fun they were having. One student remarked, “This is much better than staying at home and being bored.”
Other “Going Green” week activities included wearing recycled clothes to school one day, recycling bottles and cans, and having earth poetry and recycled sculpture contests.
“The teachers even participated in a ‘No Paper’ day,” said Godwin’s International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program Coordinator Cynthia Boddie. “All the learning activities on that day were hands on, and did not involve any worksheets or paper. The students loved it.”
The Change of Heart Club sponsored all of the “Going Green” activities. Club members are students who are trying to make a positive difference in the climate and culture of the school. The Change of Heart Club is Godwin Middle School’s component of the School Division’s Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth initiative. Helping to create a caring school climate, providing a service to others, planning, decision-making, and having a sense of purpose were just some of the Developmental Assets on which students were focused for this project.
Reproduced with permission from Prince William County Schools.
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