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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Lower School Student Leaders Introduce Earth Day Assembly
Riegl and Green Group
University School’s Green Team proposed and organized the first Lower School Earth Day Assembly and digital photography contest to propel fellow students to more actively recycle and to feel a greater sense of urgency about protecting our planet.
At the heart of the effort were three grade 5 students – Ekaterina, Natalia and Sandra — all new to the club and including one student brand new to University School. The self-described “little family” pled their case to Lower School Director Dr. Barnes to earn a green light for their project.
“We made Plan A, Plan B and Plan C because we knew that all the things we made up would not work,” Natalia said. Regarding how the team felt empowered, she added, “It was hard work, but at the same time it was easy with a group. We never stopped, and we did it. This was my first year here and it was an amazing year because of what we did.”
“We worked really hard to finally see our little idea come alive,” Ekaterina said. “I liked the feeling before we entered the gym. We looked forward to this moment for three months.”
The assembly revolved around an engaging PowerPoint presentation designed by Green Team members Isabella (grade 11) and Madison (grade 5) to help keep the assembly “green” and maintain students’ attention. Through illustration and words, the team presented a brief history of Earth Day, the cause-and-effect scenarios resulting from care or disregard for the planet, and specific actions that students can take to make a difference. The team also cleverly included questions geared toward each Lower School grade. A performance by the Sunsations added an extra element of entertainment.
The final slides revealed not one, but three digital photo contest winners due to the quality of the more than 50 submissions.
“We didn’t want to do categories, but after we voted, three photographs came out on top and they all featured different things so [Lower School Green Team sponsor] Mrs. Etra suggested we do a flower, animal and scenic category,” Ekaterina said. The winners were Gabriela (grade 5), Joey (grade 3), and Andrew (grade 4), respectively.
As a result of the Green Team’s assembly, Sandra noted that she observed “a lot more kids are recycling at lunch.” She also noted a few of the benefits the team received, saying “[The experience] helped us realize that being in small groups can help you make new friends, but it also helped our leadership skills and knowing how to plan.”