Bedwell School to Receive NJ 'Green Ribbon' Award Next Week

Two representatives from the Somerset Hills School district will next Friday accept an award for the the Bedwell  Elementary School in Bernardsville as one of only two school buildings in the state to be recognized as a 2013 New Jersey Green Ribbon School.

The last year went to Bernards High School on both the state and national level for the Green Ribbon award, a program started just two years ago, said Mariel O’Brien, the Somerset Hills School district's Energy Coordinator.

O'Brien and Nancy Hunter, the school district's business administrator, said the school district as a whole had in 2008 launched a strategic plan with a commitment to “A comprehensive Green Initiative promoting high performance, green, sustainable facilities.”

The multi-pronged program — which included such steps as an energy audit, education about energy efficient for both staff and students, and solar panels on school roofs — "is showing results," O'Brien said.

She said the district's administrators are very proud that two Somerset Hills schools were chosen from among all of the state's school buildings for the honor.

Last year, Bernards High School was one of 78 school buildings nationwide to also receive the Green Ribbon award at the national level.

As a New Jersey winner this year, the Bedwell school also will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education as one the state’s nominees for recognition as a national Green Ribbon School at the national level.

This year's winning New Jersey schools are scheduled to be formally recognized next Friday, March 15 at the New Jersey Sustainable Schools Conference in Monroe, O'Brien said.

The Green Ribbon School Program, announced in the Fall of 2011 by the United States Department of Education, recognizes exemplary achievement and best practices in the areas of environmental impact and energy efficiency, healthy school environments and environmental and sustainability education.

Peter Miller, superintendent of the Somerset Hills School District, last year said the district has been conducting a number of energy-saving and sustainability
initiatives, as directed by the district’s strategic plan, implemented in June
2008.

O'Brien said last month the strategic plan included the goal of implementing a comprehensive green initiative to promote high performance, green, sustainable facilities; expanding students’ environmental awareness and community service relating to caring for the environment; and developing an integrated environmental education curriculum.

The Bedwell School has implemented these action plans and continues to monitor, measure, evaluate and improve upon its goal of creating a green and sustainable school, she said.

"In a nutshell, I'd say that staff, administration, faculty and students all work together to implement environmental and energy savings programs," Hunter said on Friday. "Our achievement are due to this successful collaboration."

“Everyone at Bedwell Elementary School is so proud and excited to receive this award,” Amy G. Phelan, principal of Bedwell Elementary School, said upon winning the award in February. “Students, staff members, administrators and parents have all contributed to our efforts in decreasing Bedwell’s energy consumption, reducing our carbon footprint, lowering our energy costs and increasing understanding and awareness of environmental concerns.”

As part of the green initiative, the district, as a whole, has participated in a grant-funded Comprehensive Energy Audit, an Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP), the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Pay for Performance (P4P) program, North American Power Partner Partners Demand Response Program and the Schools for Energy Efficiency (SEE) Program, O'Brien said.

The district also instituted a board-approved energy policy aimed at reducing energy waste and increasing awareness of environmental concerns within the buildings.

The 2013 National Green Ribbon winner will be announced in April and will be recognized at a formal ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The Green Ribbon Schools Program is modeled after the Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools Program, which annually honors public and private schools that are either high performing or have improved student achievement to high levels. Upon review of applications submitted by all states, the U.S. Department of Education will award Green Ribbons to schools where staff, students, officials and communities have worked together to produce energy efficient, sustainable and healthy school environments and to ensure the sustainability and environmental literacy of graduates.

In addition to the green ribbons, the Somerset Hills district has received an Energy Star Label for the Bernardsville Middle School, Energy Star Leader Award for the district as a whole and has two additional buildings (Bedwell and Olcott Administration) qualify for an energy star label, according to information from the school district.