Spotlight on Green Initiatives in Time for Earth Day!
At Sainte Agathe Academy, a K–11 school in the Laurentians region of Quebec, they like to do things a little differently. The environment has been a top priority for the school’s breakfast program since it was introduced in 2021.
Disposable supplies have never been part of the program, and funding was secured for a composter and compost containers for table scraps. And what is the compost used for? To fertilize the rooftop garden above the gymnasium, naturally! The Academy has opted for financial support from BCC, which means they purchase their own food products. They buy local whenever they can and make it a point to deal with nearby partners, such as the school’s caterers and Bourassa Alimentation, a wholesaler specializing in fresh produce and other foods sourced in Quebec. Plus, some of the eggshells, peels, rinds and more are set aside in reusable containers for one of the teachers to feed to her goats at home!
Something else that makes Sainte Agathe Academy stand out is the active involvement of students in numerous environmental initiatives. A dozen high school students who belong to the Green Club are in charge of ensuring that waste is managed as sustainably as possible, and gardening duties are carried out by 15 kindergarteners and 18 Secondary I students who are members of the Garden Club. The school’s garden grows beans, cherry and full-sized tomatoes, an assortment of herbs, strawberries and other things used in the breakfast program. Some of these plants are actually seeded in the classroom in cutout milk cartons before being transferred by students to the garden.
In addition to the students, there are several other staff members to thank for these wonderful environmental initiatives. The breakfast program coordinator, Chantal Paquin, would like to thank Nicole Joanette (assistant), Claire Langlois (volunteer), Mélanie Bow (volunteer), John Depitria (volunteer and former student), Barb MacAulay (volunteer), Craig Duguid (janitor), and Sandra and Joe Morselli (caterers) for all their help.
