It takes a glass bottle one million years to decompose students learned at OMS Montessori on Earth Day.
Students at The Element High School, an extension of OMS Montessori, led an Earth Day assembly at the Alta Vista campus, where they told the younger students that it also takes plastic bottles 450 years, an aluminum can 80 years, a foam cup 50 years and a plastic bag 10 to 20 years to decompose.
These students were a part of the estimated 6 million Canadians who celebrate Earth Day and recognize how vital it is that we keep our planet clean. In addition to the assembly, the schools recognized Earth Day by "Cleaning the Capital" at Coronation Park, a beautiful large green space in the Alta Vista neighbourhood.
"The event was a fabulous community building and educational experience for all of our students," said Pat Gere, the School Director of OMS Montessori and The Element High School.
This was the second year the schools have participated in the Tim Horton's Cleaning the Capital, a citywide cleanup campaign that occurs in the spring and fall of every year. According to the City of Ottawa's website, over 1 million volunteers have participated in over 16,000 cleanup projects throughout the city since the campaign was launched in 1994. As a result, an estimated 1.7 million kilograms of waste have been removed from public spaces and properly disposed of. This year, the spring campaign ran from April 15 until May 15.
"Participating in "Cleaning the Capital" allowed our students to practice a school value in a very real way," said Pat. "Respecting the earth and our environment is an important concept instilled in our students from the Toddler Program through High School."
Charlotte, a Grade 8 student in the High School Program at The Element, said taking action on Earth Day was important because the day only happens once a year. "It's a way to make a significant difference in the world" she said. "It's the only Earth we have, so we have to take good care of it!"
