MASD earns Litter Free School Zone designation

Summer School students recently completed a project that helped earn the district the designation of a “Litter Free School Zone.”

Students attending the Meyersdale Area Elementary School (MAES) Summer School Program spent two weeks engaged in learning, fun and experiences that will enrich their lives now and in the future.

The fourth and fifth grade group completed a project that has already proven to make a positive change on the MASD campus and will hopefully inspire others to follow their lead to make “Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful”  while making MASD an official Litter Free School Zone!

The Litter Free School Zone program is designed to engage students to keep their school campus litter free while fostering a sense of responsibility and respect for their surroundings at school and beyond. It is the goal of the program to have students work together to create a cleaner, more beautiful community and life-long sense of civic pride.

Under the careful guidance of Mrs. Gala Wassilchalk, a group of four students not only accepted the challenge of making MASD “Litter Free,” they embraced this initiative with dedication and determination that is nothing short of inspirational! Louis Neimiller, Zakaria Robinson, Savannah Neimiller and Romulo Gabuya completed several intensive projects to earn this designation.

The program has several requirements in order to be designated a Litter Free School Zone. The first step was to collect litter found throughout the campus, separate and tally the items collected and transport items that can be recycled to recycling facilities. Students scoured the campus grounds on June 12 and 13 collecting items and sorting them carefully. Using forms provided by the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful program, they were able to track what items were collected and analyze the data. They collected 328 items of litter, including 37 plastic bottles they plan to drop off at the recycling center.

Wassilchalk said the students worked in sweltering heat during the two days to collect items that were, to be kind, unpleasant to handle. They worked for a total of 16 hours. They also skipped fun activities and special programs to continue their quest to make MASD Litter Free!

In addition to the actual clean up efforts, students were required to complete two extension activities.

The first extension project was a beautification project. Students in all grade levels at the Summer Program worked diligently to add a bit of beauty to the MAES playground. Students planted “Queen of Climbers” clematis plants along the “tunnel” at the playground. These young gardeners prepared the soil, planted the clematis plants and helped secure them to the tunnel structure to “train” them to go up the supports.

WVU student Tanner Wassilchalk visited the students on June 13 to help them complete the second extension requirement for the Litter Free designation. Wassilchalk, a wildlife and fisheries science major,  demonstrated how pollution impacts aquatic life and their habitats. With his help, students brainstormed ways in which pollutants could be minimized or eliminated to help preserve aquatic species and their habitats.

At the conclusion of their projects, students then submitted their documentation and findings to the state and received Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Litter Free School Zone Student Participation Awards for their outstanding efforts. A special sign will also be erected on the school grounds designating MASD as a Litter Free Zone.

Mr. Devin Pritts, MAES principal, said he was impressed with the students’ efforts and is confident their work will be an inspiration for their fellow students and members of the community.

“It’s great to see our students contributing in a positive way to help maintain the school grounds,” Pritts explained. “The program that Mrs. Wassilchalk and the students started, will continue to provide a positive change for everyone who visits our campus.”

Wassilchalk said the efforts of these fine students will be continued, and she plans to hold an outreach effort in the upcoming school year.

Congratulations to these special students and thank you for demonstrating how EVERYONE can help make our school, our community and our world a better place in which to live!