"I'm happy to be the leader of the team that will make EACS the premiere school district in northeast Indiana."When large, blue bins labeled “Paper” become full, student volunteers help Huntertown Elementary custodians feed the Paper Gator, the large outdoor recycling bin bearing the name of the recycling company.
The program was recently started at Huntertown and has drawn in surrounding businesses that stop by the school to feed the Paper Gator.
Fifth-graders Tyler Gibson, Braeden Hall and Brittany Williams were on hand Wednesday, emptying small bins in classrooms and offices into the larger bins placed in the cafeteria. Each volunteer has a specific area they cover each week.
“It’s important to pass on awareness of taking care of the environment,” Principal Joe Meyer said. “It’s an important lesson to get through to as many kids as we can.”
The program not only teaches students to recycle and conserve paper, but it also serves as a fundraiser for the school, which gets recycled paper or cash for the paper it recycles, said Kari Reith, president of the school’s Parent Teacher Organization.
“That money goes back into the classroom for whatever students and teachers need,” she said.
Needs range from construction paper and other supplies to desks or chairs.
Events
•At 6:30 p.m. Friday, South Adams High School in Berne will host a coffee shop and auction that will feature the band Sweet Spot along with the South Adams jazz band. Proceeds from the event will benefit Dots in Blue Water, a student-led nonprofit that installs water purification systems in Haiti. The group is raising money for its third trip to a new, remote village.
Indiana Tech
•The Wellness Center will host an American Red Cross Blood Drive from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Schaefer Center gymnasium, 1600 E. Washington Blvd. To schedule an appointment to donate, visit redcrossblood.org, click Make a Blood Donation Appointment, and enter sponsor code INT with the date, or contact Amy Richardville at 260-422-5561, ext. 2427.
