J A N U A R Y
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El Semanario
Edison Language Academy – Together Through Two Languages (310) 828-0335 www.edison.smmusd.org
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK: BEATING PLASTIC POLLUTION
ANNOUNCEMENTS VALENTINES DANCE – Save the Date! February 8, Edison is holding its annual Valentines Dance and Dinner. Join us for great food, lotería, dancing, raffles, and lots of fun! Watch for raffle tickets coming home soon. TRAFFIC SAFETY YARD SIGNS AVAILABLE SOON! -- Do you live in the Edison neighborhood and want to encourage safe driving behavior? At the January 23 PTA Association meeting, we will have free yard signs available with messages like "slow down" and "take the friendly road." We’ll place any remaining signs in the school office. More information on safe routes to school is available at santamonicasaferoutes.org.
PERSONAL NOTE – Some of you saw me take a tumble in the courtyard last week and have called with concern because I have been away from campus for a few days. I am fine and was not injured. I did, however, illustrate the importance of mindful walking and not trying to do too many things at one time! If you haven’t seen me recently it’s only because I was at a Restorative Justice Training for two days and then took a day and a half and a weekend to drive with my daughter as she traveled back to school in Wisconsin. Lots of snow, wind and below freezing temperatures reminded me why I love living in California! Thank you for your concerns.
For the last few years, Edison has been growing a Green STEM program – an approach to science, technology, education and mathematics (STEM) with a focus on environmental science. We’ve worked with Grades of Green (an environmental education group) for several years to develop a compost and recycling program at lunch. Our student Green Team arose out of this work. Our faculty Green STEM Team has been researching curriculum and the efforts of ECO-SCHOOLS USA and are trying out some of the curriculum from the California Environmental Education Initiative this spring. Last year we were able to start an Edible Garden and give students opportunities to work with garden educators, grow food and learn about science, health and nutrition through the garden. We also began to experiment with ways to reduce water usage in the garden by burying “ollas” (clay pots filled with water) in the vegetable beds. We look forward to strengthening the garden program each year. In addition to their recycling work, the student Green Team has been meeting and discussing ways to reduce single plastic bottle use at school. And at least one of our Pathway to Change Projects for the Kindness and Justice Challenge will also focus on reducing use of plastic water bottles. Please watch this space for updates on Edison’s efforts to reduce plastic use. DID YOU KNOW: • • • • • • •
We use 1 million plastic bottles per minute. It takes 1000 years for single-use plastic to decompose. Biodegradable plastic only biodegrades in incinerators and not in the natural environment. Bioplastic is made from corn starch, cassava roots, and sugarcane. Microplastics are found in: fish, salt, bottled water, the air, and humans. Only 9% of plastic bottles are recycled. Beverage companies produced 239 billion plastic bottles in 2004 growing to 494 billion by 2017. Companies producing the most plastic bottles: Pepsi, Coke, and Nestle.
Sources: UN Environment North America; NBC News, December 30, 2018. We invite families to learn about these issues with the students and consider alternatives to single use water bottles.
January 16 – 4:00-6:00 pm – Edison Site Council – Room 100
January 21 Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday – SCHOOL CLOSED
January 23 - PTA Association Meeting Library