Tag Archives: School

By Larraine Roulston: April is our spring month when schools can demonstrate their commitment to the environment through a number of fun and exciting activities. One popular program to reduce plastic is the “Plastic Bag Grab Challenge” initiated by Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO) and Walmart Canada, which rewards students …

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By Fredrica Syren: How sure are you that your child’s classroom is filled with education, not harmful chemicals or dust? As a parent, it’s so important to be your children’s advocate and to make sure their schools, especially the classrooms, do not contain anything that may pose a health risk. …

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By Fredrica Syren: Soon school is starting again and with that comes the need for some school supplies. Trying to live zero waste with school children can be tricky; but my motto is “find what I have at home already; borrow; buy used; and, as a last resort, buy quality …

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By Kim Robson: Many of our articles here on Green Mom focus on younger children. Today, let’s talk about kids who are reaching college age. High school guidance counselors and parents place enormous pressure on kids to aim for and apply to four-year colleges or universities. And for good reason …

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By Kim Robson: How much homework is too much? There is little evidence that homework helps elementary and high school students achieve academic success, yet the never-ending nightly homework burden is becoming a serious hardship on families. It robs children of the critical sleep, play and exercise time they need …

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 By Amanda Wilkes:  Where do your children spend a majority of their time? Is it in a toxic-free, sustainable, green environment that serves healthy food? These are conditions you are able to provide when your child is home, but what about when your child is at school? Primary age students …

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By Larraine Roulston: In 1977 John Holt, author and teacher, coined the word “Unschooling,” which he defined as “learning that does not look like school learning, and learning that does not have to take place at home.” He believed that “there is no difference between living and learning … it …

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By Fredrica Syren: I don’t know about you, but in my experience, classrooms in general are never great looking and tend to be boring. But imagine a classroom filled with edible plants. Now that’s a classroom I would look forward to going to every day. Teacher Stephen Ritz has made …

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By Larraine Roulston: Tamara Rubin, executive director of the nonprofit Lead Safe America Foundation in Portland, Oregon, visits preschool facilities. Earlier this May, she pointed an X-ray fluorescence heavy-metal detector at a faded red rug in Angela Molloy Murphy’s preschool. The heart shaped rug was loaded with lead. Over time, …

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By Kim Robson: A recent government study has found what most parents already suspect: U.S. school lunches are unhealthy and contributing to childhood obesity. Kids who eat school lunches are more likely to be obese by the time they get to the third grade. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded …

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