The Lady Evelyn Health and Environment Committee

Growing Up Organic – Introduction

Planting and Growing Organic – Inside and Out

The Salad Bar

Environmental Awareness Movie Night

Non Violent Communication Workshops

Enviro Centre Bike Course

Nut Allergy Awareness Campaign

Environmental School Survey

Recycling

Shahla (co-Chair), Valerie Thorpe (co-Chair), Kerry Fagan, Maureen DeMarco Omura, Teresa LeGrand and Moonia Lahbabi (our Council chair rep.).

Shahla at or at tel. 613-260-8798
Valerie Thorpe at at 613-234-1419.

The Health and Environment Committee is committed to making Lady Evelyn Alternative School an even better place. We are interested in:

• General student safety, including bike safety;
• Positive mental health among students, bully prevention, peace initiatives and non violent communication;
• Promotion of a healthy, active lifestyle that includes good nutrition;
• Awareness and avoidance of food allergies and environmental allergies;
• Promotion of environmental awareness and sustainability, including organic gardening, composting, re-using and recycling.

Next tentative meeting date: Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. at Cuppedia, on Main Street.
We are holding our meetings on the Wednesday evening before council meetings.

Minutes:

Growing Up Organic – Introduction

Planting and Growing Organic – Inside and Out

The Salad Bar

Environmental Awareness Movie Night

Non Violent Communication Workshops

Enviro Centre Bike Course

Nut Allergy Awareness Campaign

Environmental School Survey

Recycling

Growing Up Organic– Introduction

Inspired by Lynda Hall and "Growing Up Organic", a project of the Canadian Organic Growers, a national non-profit organization representing organic growers and consumers and Lynda Hall, we are implementing two projects at Lady Evelyn, “Planting and Growing Organic” and “The Salad Bar”.

Lynda Hall has generously agreed to permit the Health and Environment Committee and Lady Evelyn Alternative School to consult her and obtain free advice on these projects.  In exchange, Growing Up Organic shall be free to report on our projects on its web site.

Thanks Lynda!

Planting and Growing Organic – Inside and Out

Organic vegetable seeds shall be planted in shallow trays. Trays shall be located on shelves, illuminated by ultra violet light and shall be labeled. Planting to start in second term, before Spring Break.

Teachers free to access the planted seeds for educational purposes. Trays shall be accessible to the entire school.

If any classes are interested in watering, photographing and taking measurements of plant growth, please do not hesitate to contact Val or Shahla, otherwise, this shall be done by council volunteers on a weekly basis.

Once seedlings have grown, are ready for re-planting outside and weather permits, seedlings shall be planted outside in raised beds.

We shall be constructing beds out of recycled materials.

Students shall not be permitted to play inside the beds but shall be allowed and encouraged to check out the growth in the beds when they are outside.

We hope to have some organic vegetables grown by the end of the school year, if it is possible. If not, a volunteer can maintain the garden at home and return the beds in September.

If anyone has any ultra violet lights, shelves and/or trays and/or material to construct beds, such as recycling boxes, kindly contact Shahla or Val.

“The Salad Bar”

The Health and Environment Committee is interested in ensuring all Lady Evelyn students understand the role fresh, organic produce plays in a healthy lifestyle and make a habit of eating organic fruits and vegetables as much as possible.

Subject to taking enough orders and finding volunteers, commencing January, 2008, Lady Evelyn students shall have access to a salad bar, to be located on the floor of his or her classroom at the second nutrition break, once a week, at a cost of a dollar per week.

Order forms shall be available before the end of first term to determine the number of interested parents, our budget and the number of interested volunteers.

If anyone has metal trays and metal tongs to donate to the school, please contact either Kerry, Val or Shahla.

Volunteers shall be needed for cutting vegetables and delivery. Any interested volunteers should contact or telephone 613 231 6130.

Non Violent Communication Workshops

We would like to make workshops and speakers on Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s language of Non Violent Communication, available to interested Lady Evelyn parents and educators.

We have consulted Dr. Chris Osler of the Sandy Hill Community Health Clinic in charge of community project initiatives for Ottawa East and Sandy Hill and hope to obtain an expert from the community on this topic in the near future. Stay posted!

For more information on Dr. Marshall Rosenberg Phd and excerpts from his articles, see www.cnvc.org/nvc.htm

Environmental Awareness Movie Night

Enviro Centre Bike Course

The Ottawa Enviro Centre has generously agreed to provide Lady Evelyn’s grades 3/4 and 5/6 students with bike safety instruction, consisting of a presentation and group workshops, to take place after Spring Break, 2008.

Nut Allergy Awareness Campaign

Lady Evelyn Alternative School is a nut free zone. No nuts, nor nut products, nor foods that have come into contact with nuts or the residue of nuts, are permitted on the premises.

There are Lady Evelyn students and staff who suffer from anaphylaxis if exposed to nuts and could die.

Thank you to Kathie and Dan Theriault for creating and generously providing the “Nut Free Zone” signs we have posted on the doors of Lady Evelyn and in the atrium!

  Environmental School Survey

Are there any products that are being utilized by students or staff that are unsafe?

Are there are any products that can be replaced by safer ones?

We are taking stock of what products are being used. We hope to have a report with suggestions and possible solutions by the end of the year.

If you know of any product that may have caused an allergic reaction in a student or staff member at Lady Evelyn, please do not hesitate to let us know.

  Recycling

We are committed to recycling and composting at each social event held by school council.

We support and commend Lady Evelyn staff who have encouraged recycling in the classroom and on school grounds by using blue boxes, compost containers and re-using materials for educational and other purposes.