1999 Earth Day Groceries Reports - Maine

Hi, I'm Linda Doiron and I teach Kindergarten. I thought the grocery bag idea was great and wanted to let you know that 140 kids in our school took part in the project for Earth Day. The name of the store that worked with us is Shop'N Save in Rumford.
Sincerely,
Linda Doiron
Virginia School
740 Forest Avenue
Rumford, Maine 04278
Jennifer Lamarr
Madawaska Elementary School
Madawaska, Maine, United States
Bags decorated: 120
Comments: At Madawaska Elementary, a school located in the tip of northern Maine,second, third, and fourth graders decorated about one hundred and twenty bags in order to celebrate and honor Earth Day. The students also constructed two informational posters for grocery shoppers to read. The posters explained the Earth Day project and the history of Earth Day. Madawaska Elementary also has an excellent French Emersion program; therefore, many of the students decorated their bags in French. The project provided students with a great hands on learning experience. The students learned the most important lesson of Earth Day, and that is to make a difference.
Deborah Chadwick
Princeton Elementary School
Princeton, ME
Bags decorated: 197
Comments: This was our second year participating in the Earth Day Grocery Bag Project. Almost every student in the school decorated a bag.
This year our Spring Fling had an environmental theme. The bags were judged and prizes were given out at each grade level. The winning bags were on display throughout the school.
Bags were donated and distributed by the Princeton AG again this year.
Next year we are planning to contact all the elementary schools in Washington County to see if we can get county-wide participation in the project in 2000.

Janet Nordfors Troy Central School
Troy, Maine, USA
Bags decorated: 76
Comments: Our school had a health fair and included a table on a healthy environment where fair goers could decorate a bag
Just a brief note to let you know the children of China Primary School in South China Maine decortated 150 bags that were delievered to local stores to be passed out tomorrow on Earth Day 1999.
I would like to thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this project. It makes a nice connection with the school and community. I also enjoyed "giving" the bags to the stores to use. They couldn't believe we didn't want something in return. Thanks again I look forward to seeing the repot posted on the grocery web site.
Sincerely,
Elaine Philbrook of So. China, Maine
Jinny Bryant
Winthrop Grade School
Winthrop, Maine USA
Bags decorated: 262
Sally Needell
Berwick Academy
South Berwick, Maine
Bags decorated: 28
Comments: I learned about the program too late to involve all of the elementary school children, but of the 28 first graders, 12 were willing to have their bags go to the local market. The town market has offered to donate enough bags for all of the children in grades 1-4 next year. It was a wonderful experience for all! Thanks!

1998 Earth Day Groceries Reports - Maine

Our highly motivated and very creative students had a wonderful time decorating grocery bags to help spread important Earth Day messages. Our kindergarten through fifth grade students at Dora L. Small school succeded in decorating 367 bags! They were distributed at our local Shaw's Supermarket to customers shopping on Earth Day, April 22nd. The feedback from store management and the public has been wonderfully supportive. Thank you to all Small School students and teachers who made this activity such a success! I would like to especially thank my third grade students (who may be reading this!) for your outstanding help! You all did such a marvelous job distributing bags to classes, decorating, counting, and finally helping me load up my car! Earth Day groceries was a big success because of you! We continue to honor the saying "Earth Day is Every Day" by reflecting on promises we've made, and trying to do just a little more to keep our world healthy. All things are truly connected.
Gretchen L. Mulroy (KJMFEEN@pol.net)
Dora L. Small School
South Portland, Maine
The Princeton Elementary School is in Princeton, Maine, a rural community of 900 located a short distance from New Brunswick border as well as the St. Croix River. Princeton has long been known as a sportsmen's and naturalist's haven.
Our school has 194 children from grades K-8.  The children managed to enthusiastically decorate 200 bags donated by our local Princeton Food Mart.  These beautifully done bags will be donated to Food Mart customers on Earth Day.  We have all enjoyed participating in this program.  It has sparked a renewed Earth Day awareness within our school as well as in our community.  We are looking forward to participating on a larger scale next year.
Deborah Chadwick
Grade 1 teacher
chadwickd@princeton-es.u107.k12.me.us

1997 Earth Day Groceries Reports - Maine

My seventh grade science classes celebrated Earth Day in a variety of ways. In addition to dissecting disposable diapers and weighing our junk mail, we decided to take part in Earth Day Groceries. I instructed my students to research at least five facts about recycling, pollution, or other related "Earth Day facts." We then proceeded to discuss what they researched, and we all learned some very interesting things. The students then eagerly got to work decorating their bags with the facts they researched, along with some colorful Earth Day pictures and slogans. I involved not only my seventh grade science classes, but recruited the sixth and eighth grade science classes as well. By the end of the week, Mahoney students had decorated 361 grocery bags. They came out beautiful! Our students were not only enthusiastic, but highly motivated and creative! The bags were returned to Shaw's Supermarket in South Portland, ME where they will be distributed on Earth Day. We hope that the community finds these bags both interesting and informative.
Gretchen L. Mulroy kjmfeen@pol.net
Mahoney Middle School
South Portland, ME

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