Fourth Grade Composting Teach-In

Inspired by their learning about the environment, two 4th graders from Maureen Cuesta’s class recently led a teach-in on composting for students in grades 4 through 6 in the Kovler Family Library’s new Story Studio. Their goal was to educate others on the environmental and public health benefits of composting. They asked the 30 students, faculty, staff and parents present not to take more food than they can eat and to try composting at home to transform food waste into fertilizer to grow more and keep landfills from poisoning ground water. They gave all who attended a compost bag and provided instructions on how to get started. They also shared a film on composting for kids and reported that, while Parker currently composts about 150 pounds of organic food waste a day, according to Quest Executive Chef Zac Maness, “We know our school can do more with your help.”

 

According to Head of Intermediate and Middle School John Novick, the gathering was an important one. “At Parker we have teachers who honor students’ desire to create social change by giving them voice and agency. And we have an entire community who see, in student activists at any age, hope for a better world. Eric Liu challenged our students this fall to imagine better and make themselves useful to their community. And that’s exactly what these 4-C students are doing. And everyone supporting them is doing their part, too.”