Sustainability Spotlight: Sheridan Elementary

This month’s Sustainability School Spotlight is Sheridan Elementary! LaVonne Hanlon, the school librarian, is beginning her fourth year leading the school’s Green Team. This has involved planning, holding meetings, and conducting activities with kids primarily on the Green Team with occasional school-wide participation. In 2016, Sheridan’s Green Team produced a video that LPS used as a model to promote environmental awareness and met with the school board to talk about these efforts. Other activities that Sheridan has done includes Idle Free Campaigns, growing a school garden, participating in the Green Apple Day of Service and bringing in guest speakers to talk about saving energy and native species in Nebraska. In 2019, Sheridan was the top Elementary school in the Green Schools Recognition Program and earned $500 in sustainability project funding.

Future plans with this funding involves hosting a school-wide Earth Day celebration in the coming spring to honor the 50th anniversary of the original event. For this event, they will host a wildlife encounter group to give a presentation with live animals and to talk about vanishing wildlife and the importance of protecting animals and keeping our planet healthy. Hanlon loves leading Sheridan’s Green Team because it gives her a chance to share her common values through education on recycling, reducing energy, composting and caring for plants. Her advice to any school considering starting their own Green Team is to go for it! The time spent helping raise kids’ environmental awareness pays off immensely and is extremely rewarding to watch them become lifelong sustainability advocates. Congratulations to Sheridan for all of their sustainability success so far and their exciting plans for this school year!