Sustainability Spotlight: Tiffany Geis at Kloefkorn Elementary
This month’s sustainability spotlight is shining on Tiffany Geis at Kloefkorn Elementary School. She has been a first grade teacher at Kloefkorn for five years now, but this is her first time serving as the Sustainability Champion.
“I took this role because I am interested in many of the facets of sustainability in our society. I thought it would be a great way to find new and creative ways to engage students, staff and families in creating a school that embraced this effort.”
As a first year Sustainability Champion, Geis is already doing a great job documenting both existing and new environmental activities taking place across the school and reporting them for the Green Schools Recognition Program. Just a few of the activities completed so far this year include a clothing drive, a reusable water bottle campaign, recycled art lessons, and a water saving campaign.
Kloefkorn has also been exploring sustainability connections within the existing curriculum. A couple weeks ago the 1st grade students took class outside to get some inspiration from nature for their ‘Poet-Tree’ lesson. Back inside the classroom, students were seamlessly drawing connections between the importance of their recycling efforts and how it affects the number of trees needing to be cut down to make brand new paper.
“We need to teach students about green practices and foster a lifelong interest in saving the planet. These ideas help lay the groundwork for a green school, classroom and society.”
Geis has also been communicating these sustainable opportunities with other staff and making it a team effort. For example, their registrar Val Ontiveros, has generated morning announcements and posters with tips for saving energy, water, and waste both at school and at home. Geis also attended a PTO meeting to share sustainability updates and has kept families informed in the parent newsletter.
There are still several activities they hope to accomplish this spring including hosting an NRD Nature Night, inviting LES for a presentation, and coordinating an energy saving campaign across the school. When asked what advice she has for other schools hoping to engage in green school activities, she shared “the LPS Sustainability Website provides so many ideas and resources, it’s easy to be successful.”
Looking ahead to next school year, Kloefkorn hopes to have a student green team available for students to get involved and have their own voice in planning activities.
“There are many ways students can engage in sustainability on a daily basis. It is exciting to see when young students can make the decision to make a difference on their own.”
Thank you to all the staff and students at Kloefkorn for participating in green activities and being sustainability leaders for the whole district.
Updated March 14, 2024
