Will County honors 48 schools with Earth Flag Awards

Will County honors 48 schools with Earth Flag Awards

JOLIET – Nearly 700 students and staff members from 24 Will County schools attended the Earth Flag Awards ceremony at Rialto Square Theater in Joliet.

Another 24 schools also won the award after working with the Joan O’Keefe, the Environmental Educator with the Resource Recovery and Energy Division of the Will County Land Use Department, but were unable to attend.

     “Kids have better ideas than adults,” O’Keefe told the students. Adults get set in their thinking, she explained, while kids will take steps to try different ways to solve problems.

Regional Superintendent of Schools Shawn Walsh encouraged the students to use what they have learned as part of the Earth Flag program in their daily lives.

     “Continue to practice what you have learned, and share it with your family and friends. We only have this Earth to call our home. Let us all take care of it together.”

Also named were the TREX plastic bag challenge winners. TREX manufactures decking and outdoor furniture from recycled plastic, and sponsors a contest each year to see which schools can collect the most plastic bags.

For the third consecutive year, the winner was St. Mary Nativity of Joliet. Coming in second and third, respectively, were Pioneer Path School of Channahon and Frankfort Square School of Frankfort.

Earth Flag Award winning schools represented at the ceremony on May 13 were:

A. Vito Martinez Middle School, Romeoville; Arlene Welch Elementary School, Naperville; Carl Sandburg Elementary School, Joliet; Center for Disability Services, Melvin J. Larson Educational Center, Joliet; Creekside Elementary School, Plainfield; Eagle Pointe Elementary School, Plainfield; Elwood Elementary School, Elwood; Fairmont Elementary School, Lockport; Forest Park School, Joliet; Frankfort Square School, Frankfort; Freedom Elementary School, Plainfield; Holy Family School, Shorewood; and

Hufford Junior High School, Joliet; John R. Tibbot School, Bolingbrook; Kenneth L. Hermansen School, Romeoville; Pioneer Path School, Channahon; Reed Custer Middle School, Braidwood; Richland Elementary School, Crest Hill; Sator Sanchez Elementary School, Joliet; St. Joseph School, Lockport; St. Mary Nativity School, Joliet; St. Rose School, Wilmington; Taft Elementary School, Joliet; and Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, Joliet.

Schools which also won but were unable to attend were:

Arnold J. Tyler School, New Lenox; Arbury Hills Mokena; Aux Sable Middle School, Joliet; Brooks Middle School, Bolingbrook; Central Elementary School, Plainfield; Chelsea Elementary School, Frankfort; Haines Elementary School, New Lenox; Hilda Walker Intermediate School, Tinley Park; Irene King School, Romeoville; Jonas E. Salk School, Bolingbrook; Kelvin Grove Junior High School, Lockport; Lakewood Falls Elementary School, Romeoville; and

Liberty Elementary School, Bolingbrook, L.J. Schilling School, Homer Glen, Ludwig Elementary School, Lockport; Monee Elementary School, Monee, Peotone Junior High School, Peotone; R.C. Hill Elementary School, Romeoville; William B. Orenic Intermediate School, Plainfield; William E. Young School, Homer Glen; and William J. Butler School, Homer Glen.

Additional information about the Will County Land Use Department and its activities can be found at www.willcountygreen.com. The department is led by Director Curt Paddock and is under County Executive Larry Walsh’s office.