Setting Description

HTeCVwasbuiltduringthe20102011schoolyearandwasdesignedtobeasustainable
learningenvironment.Theschoolisdeemedoneofthemostenergyefficientschoolsinthe
nationbyobtainingover70%ofitsenergythroughsolarpanelslocatedontheroof.SanDiego
Gas&ElectricCompanyreferstothecampusasaSDG&EsSustainableCommunities
Championboastingthatthesolarpanelsystemprevents273,312poundsofcarbondioxide
fromenteringtheatmosphereeachyearwhichisequivalenttoplanting4,027trees(San
DiegoGasandElectric,2015).

Ontopoftheimpressivesolarpanelsystem,theschoolalsohostsmanyenvironmentallyfriendly
products.Highefficiency,motionsensitivelightsareineveryclassroom.Waterconserving
toiletsareinallofthebathroomsalongwithmotionsensoredsinks.Thebuildingsthermostat
autoadjuststoconserveenergywhenschoolisnotinsession.Theschoolisalsosituatedonthe
edgeofthecityandhasacanyonandmountainsthatliedirectlybehindtheschoolsgrounds.An
ediblegardenoncampusgivesstudentstheopportunitytounderstandtheprocessofseedto
table.Thebuildingandcampuslocationinitselfprovideaperfectopportunityforstudentsto
learnabouttheenvironmentandhowtocareforit.

Thekindergartenthroughfifthgradeschoolisoccupiedby411students,twentyoneteachers,
eightacademiccoaches,sixinclusionteammembers,threecustodialstaff,twoschoolleadership
residents,onesitemanager,andonedirector.Thismakestheadulttostudentratioapproximately
10:1.Theschoolsstudentbodyis53%maleand47%female.57%ofthestudentsreceivefree
orreducedlunch.Almosthalf(45%)ofthestudentsareHispanic,24%areCaucasian,18%are
Asian,8%areAfricanAmerican,4%areAmericanIndianand1%ofthepopulationisPacific
Islander.

Figure3.HTeCVsdemographicsforthe20142015schoolyear.

Eachgradelevelisdividedintothreeclasses.Inordertomeetthediverseneedsofstudents,
classsizesarekeptat26orfewer.Eachgradelevelhasanacademiccoachwhodividestheir

timeamongstthethreeclassesandworkstosupportstudentswhohaveIndividualizedEducation
Plans.Kindergartenistheexception,whereeachclasshasitsownacademiccoach.

Efforts of Environmental Stewardship

Aslideshowofschoolnorms(AppendixE)wasshownatthefirstcommunitymeetingtoall
studentstointroducethemtothebehaviorsexpectedofthematschool.Intheluncharea,
studentsweretoldtheywouldbeacaringcommunitymemberwhentheycollecttheirtrash
andthetrasharoundthemwithreasoningthattheschoolshouldlookbeautiful.Eachgrades
lunchperiodismonitoredbytwoadults,withpositionsalternatingbetweenclassroomteachers,
academiccoaches,schoolleadershipresidents,andthedirectoroftheschool.Despitehaving
adultmonitorsandinformingthestudentswhatisexpectedofthem,amultitudeoftrashisleft
behindinthelunchareaonadailybasis.

Projectshavebeendoneattheschooltoincreaseenvironmentalawarenessandtoencourage
studentstoengageinenvironmentallyresponsiblebehaviors.In2011,onefifthgradeteacherled
aGoGreenprojectwithherstudents.Thefifthgraderscollectedandanalyzedtheamountof
trashtheywereproducingatlunch.Theytalkedaboutwaystoreducetheamountoftrashthey
produced,createdarecyclingstationatlunch,andmadeatutorialslideshowonrecycling.The
slideshowwaspresentedataschoolwidecommunitymeeting.Aftertheytriedtogetthewhole
schoolinvolved,thefifthgradersstoodbythetrashcansatlunchtohelptheyoungerstudents
sorttheirmaterials.

KindergartenstudentsteamedupwiththefifthgraderstocreatetheGreenMovementin2011.
Theystudiedtheessentialquestions:Howdoouractionsimpacttheocean?andWhatcanwe
dotokeepourenvironmentclean?Thekindergartenerslearnedaboutreducing,reusingand
recyclingaswellashowtrashcanaffectsealife.Theycreatedtrashart,madeacomposting
stationintheluncharea,createdreusablebags,anddevelopedandbroadcastedaPublicService
Announcementaroundtheissueoftrash.

AnacademicsupportteacherstartedaCleanCampusClubin2012.Third,fourthandfifthgrade
studentsvolunteeredtheirtimeduringaonehourelectivecourseheldonceaweek,tocleanthe
campusbypickinguptrashandsortingitintowaste,compostandrecyclables.Theydocumented
atotalof1,697piecesoftrashpickedupanddisposedofproperly.Unfortunately,theclubwas
notsustained.TheelectivestructureonlylastedforoneyearandtheCleanCampusClubwas
onlyinexistenceforonetrimester.Theacademiccoachreportedthatalthoughthestudents
enjoyedtheclub,itwasnotofferedthefollowingtrimesterbecauseshewasreadytoleada
differentelectivecourse.

Theimpactsoftheprojectsandclubswerenolongerapparentatthebeginningofthisstudy.
Althougheachclassroomhousedatrashbinandarecyclingbin,thetrashproducedgreatly
outnumberedtheamountofrecyclingcollected.Regardlessofthepreviousprojectsefforts,
recyclingwasnottakingplaceatlunch.Thelunchareahadseventrashcansandthreerecycling
bins.Onerecyclingbinheldpinchersthatweremeanttobeusedtopickupfoodthathadbeen
droppedontheground,andtheothertwobinsweredumpedwiththetrashbecausethestudents
werenotactivelysortingtheirmaterials.


MygoalincreatingacultureofenvironmentalstewardshipatHTeCVistohavestudentsand
staffengaginginenvironmentallyresponsiblebehaviorswithafocusonwastereductionand
recycling.