Fifth graders learn importance of recycling

Jennifer Giordano's fifth-grade class has gone green -- in a big way.

From the 23,574 water bottles they've recycled to the 12,507 plastic bags they've collected, the Timber Point Elementary School students and their teacher have launched dozens of environmental initiatives throughout East Islip.

"I was surprised not only by their ideas but by their willingness to put in the work," said Giordano, who started the green projects with her 22 students when they were in fourth grade last year. "I want people to learn that to save the earth is an easy thing if we all take simple steps. The second part is don't underestimate your children because they can do a lot of things."

Her students' interest in the environment grew after an in-class viewing of Disney's 2008 movie "WALL-E,"about a robot designed to clean up a waste-strewn Earth, she said.

Since then, the youngsters, who remained with Giordano for a second year, have created and sold reusable grocery bags, designed tote bags out of old snack wrappers, and launched an "eco-calendar" that includes tips on seasonal recycling. They've also hosted a community yard sale and held a workshop called "Families Going Green" at the East Islip Library.

"I really want our world to stay healthy," said student Nickolas Dimitriou, 10, of East Islip. "The important thing that we're doing is having fun and making sure our world doesn't turn into a trash bin."

The key was integrating green lessons into her class' academic regimen, said Giordano, who's been teaching for 14 years. Using math, they count how many Capri Sun wrappers they've collected -- 5,922. In Language Arts, they write essays about the importance of recycling. In science, they create minilandfills to study decomposition.

"It's just amazing what we are doing," said Nicolette Banville, 10, of East Islip. "We're helping the environment, it's really fun and we're also learning about it."

Around Timber Point Elementary, billboards with recycling lessons and environmental tips line the walls. At the school entrance, a large drum invites passersby to drop off used batteries. So far, 11,517 have been collected.

"They have energized the school," said Lisa Belz, the school's principal, of Giordano's class. "The whole school has been involved in helping them collect recyclables. It's really been wonderful to see their dedication."

By next month, Giordano said her students plan to start recycling their school's paper using large donated Islip Town Dumpsters. They also plan to buy each of the school's about 700 students reusable water bottles. They've raised about $1,500 so far, she said.

"The Department of Environmental Conservation encourages all schools to adopt these recycling programs," said Aphrodite Montalvo, a spokeswoman for the agency's Long Island branch. She added that the programs help students become good stewards of the planet.

"The kids at Timber Point Elementary School are taking the planet into their own hands," said Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington), who plans to visit the class on Monday. "These are kids who understand that they are inheriting a planet."