The PS 15-Patrick F. Daly School was named this year’s citywide winner for the Department of Sanitation’s TrashMasters program and has received the Golden Apple Award for its school-based recycling project.
The recycling program was suggested by students and organized and maintained by PS 15’s student group, The Student Roundtable. The recycling program spearheaded many Go Green student sponsored events this year including a Grrreen Festival for students, environmental outreach into the Red Hook community through adult Grrreen Festivals, and the completion of several beautification projects.
Located at 71 Sullivan Street, PS 15 was additionally named this year’s borough winner for the Department of Sanitation’s Team-Up to Clean-Up project. Students and staff turned an empty courtyard into a certified bird habitat through the World Wildlife Federation’s backyard habitats program.
The Red Hook school was also declared this year’s Rose Award winner through the New York Restoration Project for its commitment to the vision of beautification and restoration. Several students have participated in this project including PS 15’s Student Roundtable and fifth grade class 5-239. Their teacher, Mrs. Reed-Cavanagh is thrilled.
“I try to teach my students that there are lessons to be learned in how we treat the Earth in relation to how we treat each other,” said Reed-Cavanagh. “Practicing kindness and compassion is one of the hallmarks of PS 15’s mission and I can only hope that the work that we have done this year to protect and appreciate nature will help in realizing that mission.”
Students and staff at PS 15 have been involved in several service-learning and beautification projects through the years. Teacher Ms. Madison, the principal, is “extremely proud” of the students.
“Each year,” Madison says, “our students have an opportunity to work with others to achieve a shared goal, use tools and techniques that help them problem solve and complete a meaningful project, to learn important subject matter and to apply what they already know. Their efforts have helped the school community work on promoting a greener planet and a greener PS 15.”
For more on the Golden Apple Awards, visit www.nyc.gov and click on the ‘waste less’ agencies and schools section.
For more on the World Wildlife Federation’s backyard habitats program, visit www.nwf.org.
For more about PS 15’s Go Green efforts and beautification programs, contact Julie Reed-Cavanagh at jreed7@schools.nyc.gov.
