Why:
BrightStar has been officially certified by the county of Santa Clara as Green and Natural School. We consider it to be a part of God’s commission to mankind to be good stewards of our bodies and of the created world. To that end, at BrightStar Christian Academy, we have incorporated good stewardship practices including the maximization of our resources, minimizing use of harmful chemicals, and maintaining a healthy menu. Through modeling, we teach these principles and practices to the children in order for them to develop healthy habits as the next generation of stewards.
Benefits:
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), half of the nation’s schools have indoor environmental quality problems where children are exposed to toxins by inhalation, skin contact, and Ingestion.
- Green schools create a healthy environment that is conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money.
- Green schools enhance learning as children explore the wonders of the created world. From an early age children are taught the importance and benefits of acting as responsible stewards of their communities and the larger world.
- Green schools save money through energy efficiency, helping to lower utility costs, conserving resources and reducing waste.
- Green schools bring a community together by showcasing a community’s commitment to its children and their future
How:
As good stewards of our God given precious resources, at BCA we will incorporate the following daily practices, stated in our Parent Handbook:
Snacks served daily include fruits, vegetables and milk twice a day. We purchase organic whenever possible.
- We compost all green kitchen scraps and use it in our yard.
- We will grow our own fruits and vegetables year round.
- We utilize discarded fruit tree clippings to grow our own fruit orchard.
- We keep our campus toxic-pesticide free.
- We reduce, reuse and recycle.
- We use non-toxic certified green cleaning supplies.
- We encourage all lunches to be “Green”. Parents provide a daily healthy lunch in 100% reusable containers and must include a cloth napkin/washcloth, reusable utensils, and thermoses filled with water.
